I was at work when I got the word that my mom had three months to live. I rushed to her house, entered without knocking, and joined her on the couch. There we sat. Not ...
Redefining Independence, Wherever You Call Home
My parents expected to live out the rest of their lives in their beloved South Minneapolis home, exiting “feet first,” as my dad liked to say. Then life happened. My mom’s osteoarthritis made it hard ...
Avoiding Care to Avoid COVID-19?
The importance of addressing health care needs now Concerns about COVID-19 prompted us to delay my 89-year-old mother’s cataract surgery until she couldn’t tell the difference between her cat and a couch pillow. Finally, convinced ...
Fall Prevention: A key factor in maintaining independence
At some point in our lives, nearly all of us will take a tumble—off a ladder, a curb, a bike—but rarely with lasting consequences. However, when older adults have a fall, the aftermath can be ...
Hospital@Home Program Blends Family and Hospital-level Care At Home
If given the choice – hospital or home, it’s no surprise most people would opt to recover at home. “No one takes care of you like a spouse or a close family member,” said Tina ...
Family Caregiver Burnout: Taking care of yourself while caring for a loved one
A number of years ago, I found myself getting irritated for the most trivial reasons—road construction, a badly parked car, a cashier-in-training. I was increasingly short-tempered at work and testy with my husband. And then ...
COVID-19, Social Isolation, and Dementia: Caring for your loved one during lockdown
This past February, a month before Minnesota’s stay-at-home order, I took my 88-year-old mother for her annual Medicare wellness visit. She aced the usual battery of tests (blood pressure, oxygen levels, reflexes, strength, balance, BMI) ...
The Lifesprk Open House Welcomes You
On the Road and Headed Your Way Human beings have always been stronger together. That’s why Lifesprk cares so deeply about building supportive social networks that connect us to each other and to our communities. ...
Social Isolation Affects Seniors’ Health; How Do you Manage that During COVID-19?
While social distancing is the recommended practice for the foreseeable future, many of us may be finding ourselves at home alone with very limited contact with our loved ones. With seniors at a higher risk ...
Tips For Self-Care During COVID-19 and Beyond; It’s Good for Your Health
There are so many emotions experienced with COVID-19 as we continue to navigate life in a pandemic and as we start to ease back into ‘normalcy.’ Guilt, anger, fear, sadness—all of these emotions are normal ...
