By Grace Birnstengel for Next Avenue Navigating the medical system can be a daunting process. It’s challenging enough to find any doctor with openings, let alone a good doctor. And…
The Power of Sharing Our Stories
By Reyna Marder Gentin for Next Avenue My friend runs an assisted living residence not far from where I live. When she called to say she had a mitzvah (a…
8 Ways to Preserve Your Family Memories
By Claire Zulkey for Next Avenue Does that box of unsorted family photos in your closet give you a gnawing feeling? Always wonder what you’re supposed to do with your…
How a Daughter Helped Her Mom Face Death
By Aimee Ross “I have a question for you, Aim,” Mom said from her blue La-Z-Boy. “How did you stay so positive during everything you went through?” This takes me…
5 Things Family Caregivers Need to Know About Family Leave
By Diane Harris for Next Avenue This week marks the 25th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which allows employees to take up to 12 weeks of…
How to Be Supportive to Friends Experiencing Loss
By Ken Druck for Next Avenue (Editor’s note: This essay is the latest in a series from author and speaker Ken Druck, based on work in his book Courageous Aging, which…
‘Letter Project’ Makes End-of-Life Wishes Clear
By Beth Baker, Aging in Community Blogger (part of the Transforming Life as We Age Special Report) “I do not want to be a burden on my family… I would prefer…
When your best friend dies
By Gary M. Stern for Next Avenue Josh Koplovitz, an attorney based in Woodstock, N.Y., communicated with his best friend Lester Fensterheim nearly every day. They first met in 1999…
Keeping our eyes on the prize
By Greg Schmidt, hospice chaplain Valentine’s Day is 14 days away while I’m writing this … and I’ve already purchased my wife’s gift. That has NEVER happened in the almost…
What to Say to Someone Who’s Dying
By Jill Smolowe for Next Avenue My friend’s distress was acute. For weeks she’d been running herself ragged, attending to her ailing octogenarian father. Daily visits to the hospital had…