Posts Tagged "aging parents"
How Did We End Up Here?
I spent most of this week at the hospital with an elderly family member recovering from another medical crisis. Frequent hospitalizations, aging and a need for a better plan required some serious conversations around what the future holds. We all have visions of staying home for as long as possible and avoiding living our final years in a nursing home. Having worked in senior health care for most of my career it isn’t any easier when it’s someone you love faced with tough decisions. Health care providers are facilitating these emotional conversations around end of life and encouraging us to talk about our wishes and preferences for care when we...
Read MoreHappy Birthday Rae – 100 Years Old Today!
Last year at this time I wrote about my friend Nancy’s mother Rae Gaida who lives at Heritage Park a community for seniors in Bradenton, Florida. Rae wrote about celebrating her 99th birthday last year by reminiscing about the events that occurred during her life as follows: When I was born, - William Taft was President. - Einstein developed his Theory of Relativity when I was 5. - I was 10 when women received the right to vote. - Lindbergh did the first trans-Atlantic flight when I was 17 - Television came on the scene when I was 18. - Prohibition was going on between ages 8 through 23 (thank goodness that ended because I do appreciate a good martini)! -...
Read MoreTouch and Technology
Those that know me know that I tend to like technology. Gadgets and toys have fascinated me for quite some time andin the past I always wanted to have the latest smart phone, laptop, wireless products or hybrid car. My budget has limited my choices over the past few years and fortunately I can no longer keep up with all the new products. I say fortunately because I’ve learned to slow down and look at life differently, oh I still have a healthy curiosity about what’s new in the marketplace. But something has changed for me; I’ve started to notice what I’m missing when I’m distracted by technology. I’m working on finding balance...
Read MoreMid-Life Aging… Gracefully
I’ve been reading a book called The Age of Miracles by Marianne Williamson and enjoying the conversation about mid-life and the aging process for the baby boomer generation. Having time to think during my rehabilitation the past several months has brought to mind decisions I wanted to put off for a few more years. Like what? Well thinking about giving up a house that has four levels for one thing, having a broken ankle and being restricted to the family room all winter was quite an eye opener. The question arises, how do we age gracefully? What decisions do we make and when do we make them? Somehow we all think we have “time” to make those...
Read MoreNobody Cooks Anymore
I was driving by some restaurants when I heard my father’s voice, “Nobody Cooks Anymore,” that was one of his favorite sayings when we would go to a restaurant for a meal and a visit. For the last few years of his life our routine was to take Dad out for Sunday breakfast, we’d talk about the week or plan a trip to the doctor at the Veteran’s Hospital. Dad lived with my youngest sister and her family and they kept him pretty engaged in their busy social life but he loved to visit and get out of the house. My father loved to comment on anything going on in the twin cities, he’d bring his favorite Pioneer Press newspaper...
Read MoreQuick Bio
Mary Chapa is a multi-talented woman with a background in nursing leadership, quality management and business development in both health care and private industry; she's also a writer and a passionate holistic health practitioner living in Minnesota.
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