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Have you ever had the experience of meeting up with a dear friend for coffee or talking with your trusted therapist, and all of a sudden, you stumble into a conversation that's a little scary and emotional? Maybe you hesitate for a minute and ask yourself if you're gonna take the risk and really "go there".

I don't know about you, but when I find myself in these situations with a person I trust, and I make the choice to dive in, I end up learning a lot about myself and having an even closer relationship with the person I'm talking with.

I'm going to ask you to "go there" with me today as I interview Dr. Lauren Marcewicz, Palliative Care Physician. In this interview with Dr. Marcewicz, we have a real conversation about hospice, palliative care, family dynamics, and so much more.

Here's a peak inside my interview with Dr. Lauren Marcewicz:

• [04:49] Dr. Marcewicz shares what drew her to end of life care.
• [08:45] Learn one of...

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Have you had an end of life conversation with a loved one? What feelings came up for when you read this? Fear? Sadness? Longing? Remorse?

Naturally, when we experience these feelings, we often want to run from them, rather than toward them. 

But, did you know that when we actually pursue end of life conversations with our loved ones, it actually does more good than harm. 

Research shows that end-of-life conversations lead to improved mental health and better-quality of life for both patients and caregivers. Here's how:

• The person dying reports relief and less distress after talking with their loved ones about end of life wishes
• When there is a meaningful conversation about end-of-life choices, survivors report feeling less guilt and less depression and having an easier process of grieving. 

Now that you know end of life conversations can be helpful, in this podcast episode, I...

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You may be surprised to hear that about half of today’s Veterans are 65 and older.

Chances are, if you're caring for an aging parent (65 or older) who served in the military, their service was influenced by WW-II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War.

Offering the opportunity for your aging parents...

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In this second interview with MJ Grant, MJ shares the most intimate details of an end of life conversation she had with her dad, Manley "Mannie" Grant.

In this interview, MJ also shares about how it was discovered that her dad was deaf and the information that his family received from professionals about how to communicate with him (unfortunately the guidance Manley's family received was not affirming of him).

My hope is that by watching this video, you will have the courage to lean in to difficult end of life conversations when you are faced with them.

Grab a box of Kleenex! This conversation will leave you moved and inspired!

Read transcript here!

About MJ Grant

MJ is a remarkable woman! She is a CODA, that's a...

The idea of moving your aging parents in with you is complicated and if you're facing this possibility AND you're in a relationship, this can up the ante of complications.

A few weeks ago, I was featured in the Chicago Tribune in an article that had to do with how to go about making the decision to move your aging parents in with you! In today’s episode, I take a deeper dive into what to do if you and your partner don’t agree on moving your aging parents in with you!

[ Read Transcript Here ]

 Today,  I wanted to dive a little deeper and talk about what to do if you and your partner don’t agree on moving your aging parents in with you! 

You and your partner were raised differently. You had different parents, different family structures, different family systems, and different roles and values! Your relationship with your aging parents is unique and your partner’s relationship with their aging parents is unique as well. So...

For the past few weeks,  I’ve been talking with you about safe driving, driving retirement, and talking with aging parents about stopping driving. Well today, I’m gonna share what to do if your aging parent is no longer safe to drive, but is refusing to stop driving. This is incredibly stressful, but my tips in this video will help! 

From time to time, I run across situations in which older adults flat out refuse to stop driving, even after all of the assessments have been completed, their doctor tells them they are NO LONGER SAFE to drive, and their driver’s license has been revoked. 

These situations are really stressful, leaving you in a tight bind. You don’t want to be in conflict with your aging parent (you have dreams of living in a Hallmark aging story), and at the same time, you don’t want your parent putting themselves and others at risk of harm.

You might find yourself to be super...

You’ve heard the expression, all good things must come to an end.  Sometimes this means an end to driving.

It today’s episode, I share...

10 tips for talking with your aging parent about stopping driving… without pushing them away. 

Every day, I get questions from physicians, social workers, nurses, friends, and so many others about older adults and driving. So, I decided to create a series on driving in the hopes that it will help you to navigate a very difficult topic for many families.

This episode will help you tackle this difficult conversation with grace and confidence!

10 Tips for Talking with Your Aging Parents about Stopping Driving Without Pushing Them Away!

Tip #1 - Prepare for the Talk

Before you have this conversation with your parent, take the time to prepare. And, I mean, really prepare. Here’s how!

1. Ride in the car with them and see how they do (you may be surprised to find that they’re actually a...

 You’ve heard about people retiring from work, right? They make a plan, set a date, and spend some time preparing financially, physically, and emotionally for this big transition. Retiring from work is a conversation that, as a society, we're pretty comfortable having. 

Now, let me ask you, have you ever heard of a Driving Retirement Plan?!!

Well in today’s episode, I will be talking about a driving retirement plan and how you can help your aging parents begin to plan for their driving retirement. 

Did you know that 78% of family caregivers provide transportation for loved ones?!

I need to repeat this! 78% of family caregivers provide transportation for loved ones!  Transportation is the most requested type of assistance by older adults!!  (National Family Caregiver Alliance and AARP Public Policy Institute, 2015 Report on Caregiving in the U.S.)

That's why it's so important that we’re...

Aging parents and sibling relationships are super complicated! Throw caregiving demands on top of family conflict, and what do you get? Resentment! Burnout! And, family members not talking for months or years at a time!

But, it doesn’t have to be this way.

In this article, I share...

7 Tips For Talking With Your Siblings About Your Aging Parents’ Care.

These tips will help to prevent burnout when caring for aging parents and strengthen the relationships between you and your siblings. I mean, who doesn’t want that?

Watch it! Read it! Or do both!

1. Call For A Sibling Meeting

When you have concerns about your aging parents' needs or care, it can be helpful to call for a meeting between you and your siblings so that everyone can get on the same page.

This is really important because you may have your own ideas about how things should be done while your siblings have their own ideas. Not to mention that you may...