If we're lucky, aging is happening whether we embrace it or not! As I look around at my aging role models, at 78, my mother is at the top of the list as someone who is aging well. Not just because she's beautiful inside and out, but because she is healthy, wealthy and wise in so many areas of her life. She takes no medications, works out multiple days a week, cooks delicious meals from scratch and recently built her own website!

This is Part 2 in our 3 part series where we talk about things she has done over the years to set herself up for success. We cover a lot of territory and her blog post with her complete list is available here:

https://thecuriousenior.com/category/blog/

If you need more support on your own aging journey or as you care for your family member, sign up for my email list on my website, www.michelemagner.com

Life can be unpredictable, especially when we are on this family caregiving journey, AND there are also so many things within our decision making process and control! If you really think about it, increments of 30 seconds, days, months, years, have a huge impact on our life. A lot can happen in those increments of time. Again, some of it in our control and some not so much.

When my clients feel stuck, we look for areas to disrupt thought processes to gain clarity and then focus on what needs to be changed. With clear thinking and specific goals it allows us to create the life that we desire, even when we are helping someone with their aging journey or managing kids that are still at home.

Www.michelemagner.com

Deborah Ferris is a retired Attorney, the founder of The Curious Senior (https://thecuriousenior.com/) who just celebrated her 78th birthday, and she is also my mom!

She and I have had countless conversations over the years about aging and family caregiving. Our goal with this episode is to have her share some of the struggles she is facing and she has entered, in her words, the "next level of aging". I wanted to better understand some of the things she is feeling challenged with.

Things like renewing drivers license, medical procedures and overall strength have surprised her along the way.

She also shares wisdom for people in her peer group who are facing similar things and offers suggestions to their kids as we try and help navigate it all.

This is a 2 part series. In our next episode together, we will talk about the many things she has done to set herself up for success to be aging so well!

#aging #familycaregiving #seniors #inspiredcaring #michelemagner

Even the most well-organized, loving, and harmonious family will eventually face the need for additional support. As the care needs of your family members grow, it becomes crucial to have the right individuals in your corner, ensuring that your own health and well-being are not compromised.

Allow me to present Jennifer Fink, the delightful host of the Fading Memories podcast. With her extensive caregiving background, Jennifer guides you through the process of assembling your care team well ahead of time, so that you are prepared when assistance becomes necessary.

In this episode, Jennifer also shares a valuable resource: Alzauthors.com, a website worth exploring for additional support and information. Join us as we delve into the essential steps of building a reliable care team to navigate the challenges that lie ahead.

Fading Memories Podcast - https://fadingmemoriespodcast.com/

#FamilySupportMatters #CaregivingJourney #CareTeamBuilding #HealthAndWellbeing #FadingMemoriesPodcast #CaringForLovedOnes #InspiredCaring #CaringFromTheHeart #CaregivingExperience #FindingTheRightSupport #AlzAuthors #CaregiverResources

Here's a novel idea. A boundary is put in place and the discomfort is temporary, because a permanent change gets made. Whaaat?

Sometimes it can be hard to imagine, but there is a chance that it may be worth considering, being open to the idea of something.

So. Many. Feelings.

This conversation has my heart.

Giovanni shares her story and wisdom of living a life with joy after a traumatic childhood that included witnessing her mother accidentally killing her father and the abuse and neglect that ensued in her own life when her mother became incarcerated.

There are so many incredible nuggets in this episode of how to take care of your own self, how to remain positive, and how to take inspired action in your life (for yourself and others!), despite any circumstance that come up. This is not about overcoming, it is about growth, and moving with and through life's challenges to decide how your own story ends.

We talk about Gallup Strengths, grief, PTSD, stigma of therapy in communities, self talk, disrupting old through patterns, letting go, we cover a LOT of territory.

Giovanni shares that God's grace is the only explanation of how she has made it through. She is more than a survivor, she is a thriving beam of light and hope which she brings to everything and everyone in her life.

Thank you Giovanni for sharing your heart and story with us.

www.michelemagner.com

The last week has been tough as we said Goodbye to my mother in law at age 75. She lived with frontotemporal dementia for 14 years, the diagnosis being in 2016 and her life in memory care beginning in 2019.

My father in law cared for her in their home, until his cancer diagnosis in 2019. The energy it took for him to receive treatments and also care for her was a LOT, so moving her to memory care was the best option. He eventually moved in on the Assisted Living side of her building and passed away in 2022.

In Sherry's last years she didn't recognize us and the last many months you could see her spark was gone. There are so many mixed emotions when someone with advanced dementia dies. I didn't mention anger in this episode, but that topped the list for the first few days. Incredibly angry that our family was ripped off of 5 years of memories with her. Moving into regret, relief, and sadness. Such a mixed bag.

In this episode I share about Sherry's final days and some of the emotions that surfaced.

www.michelemagner.com

It has been an exhausting 48 hours. We had poor communication around my mother in law and quickly became frustrated. I wanted to share with you how things were handled and resolved.