Family Caregiver Support Program Volunteer Mentors: Bea’s Story
When Bea Stankard became her mother’s caregiver years ago, she had to figure things out on her own. As part of the sandwich generation, caring for her own family and her aging mother, she didn’t always know who to call when problems came up. “There were times I really felt like that sandwich you took…
Ask Joan: Grief is eased by sharing with others
Q. My older sister died about a year ago and my brother-in-law has been having a really hard time. We are all still grieving, but sometimes he says things that worry me. They had been married for more than 50 years and the other day he told me he just doesn’t want to live without…
ECCF Funding Helps DiStefano Family Care Fund Meet Urgent Needs
For most of us, a broken tooth or a higher-than-expected heating bill is an inconvenience. For an older adult living on a fixed income, it can quickly become a crisis. That’s where the DiStefano Family Care Fund makes a difference. Thanks to a $15,000 grant from the Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF), AgeSpan will continue…
Ask Joan: Caring for grandchildren keeps older adults healthier
Q. A friend was telling me recently that grandparents who take care of their grandchildren are healthier. My daughter and her family live about 45 minutes away, so we don’t care for our two grandchildren on a regular basis, but we do have them overnight and on weekends here and there. We get a lot…
Ask Joan: Social workers deserve kudos for serving others
National Social Workers Month, which is celebrated each March, has a special significance for us here at AgeSpan. Social workers play an important role in the work we do to help older adults stay independent and safe in communities that support them. It’s something I’ve been reflecting on personally because I’m also a social worker…
Ask Joan: Many retirees ask, ‘What comes next after retiring?’
Q. I retired last year, at 65, but I am starting to think I stopped working too early. There’s a lot about working that I don’t miss, including working 40 hours a week, but I do miss having a routine and feeling productive. Should I consider going back to work? Does that sound crazy? A….
Ask Joan: Cleaning out parents’ home can be very challenging physically, emotionally
Q. My parents made the decision to move into an assisted living community, and my two brothers and I are in charge of preparing their house for sale. We’d love to have it ready for the spring market, but cleaning out all the stuff they left behind will be a challenge. My parents didn’t save…
Ask Joan: Don’t ignore weight loss in older adults
Q. My mother-in-law has been losing weight in the last year or so. She has always been very slim, but lately it seems she is hardly eating anything. Her doctor plans to do some tests and mentioned to her that it could be something called anorexia of aging. I thought that was only for teenagers….
Ask Joan: Honoring the ‘lost art’ of letter writing
Q. I’ve been trying to do some organizing in my home and I recently found a bunch of letters that I saved from my junior high school pen pal. I remember being so excited when I would find a letter from her in the mailbox! I loved reminiscing, but it’s made me sad that I never…
Coordinated care in action
When it came time for 70-year-old Leon* to move from his home in Dracut to an independent living community in Brookline, the stakes were high. Leon is legally blind, an insulin-dependent diabetic, and had no family to help him with the move. One missed detail on move-in day could derail the entire transition. He was…
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