Welcome Wisdom

Constructive Conversations about Care at Home

— by Felicia Juntunen, MA, CMC, Director of Care Management The idea of accepting care at home is among the difficult conversations families may encounter as they navigate supporting an aging loved one. Understanding the perceived barriers to accepting care can help families have constructive conversations about home care services. Some of the common hesitations include: Discomfort... Read More

Constructive Conversations: Discussing Declining Health

— by Felicia Juntunen, MA, CMC, Director of Care Management As families observe the declining health of their aging loved ones, they may wish to offer support, such as durable medical equipment or medication management. Unfortunately, these offers are sometimes met with skepticism or rejection, leading to frustration and communication breakdowns. Identifying barriers to understanding and seeking... Read More

Constructive Conversations in Aging Families

— by Felicia Juntunen, MA, CMC, Director of Care Management Welcome to the new year! Our 2025 newsletter series will focus on turning difficult topics in aging families into constructive conversations. We’ll address issues like planning for the future, medication management, moving, and arranging in-home care- just to name a few – and we will share some... Read More

Communication for the Aging Family

— by Felicia Juntunen, MA, CMC, Director of Care Management We started off 2024 discussing the challenge of long-distance caregiving and provided some tools for families who find themselves geographically remote from their aging loved ones. Like geography, family dynamics can also impact family communication around the needs of an aging family member. All families, by their... Read More

Strategies for Long-Distance Caregiving

— by Felicia Juntunen, MA, CMC, Director of Care Management November and December include multiple occasions to gather, often resulting in family members traveling from a distance to spend time with aging parents and loved ones, whom they don’t see regularly because of geographic separation. These visits sometimes result in family members becoming aware of changes... Read More

Caregiving: It’s a Balancing Act

— by Felicia Juntunen, MA, CMC, ECM Director of Care Management Just a sampling of the statistics on caregiving provides a sobering perspective on why the topic of caregiving and support for caregivers is so important. According to The Family Caregiver Alliance, in 2015: 34.2 million Americans provided unpaid care to an adult over 50 years old. 16.1... Read More

Advocacy to Optimize Health Care

— by Felicia Juntunen, CMC, ECM Director of Care Management Dealing with the physical and mental health challenges that can accompany aging begins with understanding and maximizing available support systems. However, finding resources, making connections, and then utilizing those resources can seem daunting – especially when time and energy are diminished because of the stress of coping... Read More

Planning, Preparing, & Procuring… successful aging takes some effort!

— by Gail Arno, CMC, ECM Director of Care Management Each day, our Care Managers meet our senior clients who are in the midst of their own crisis. Often, the issues we tackle are mild and manageable. Sometimes, however, the situation is serious and life-altering. As Care Managers, we accept these challenges and are honored to be able to step in to educate, support,... Read More

Mental Health and Aging…

— by Gail Arno, CMC, ECM Director of Care Management Untreated or dismissed mental health issues in our younger years can present in a variety of ways as we continue to age. Approximately 15% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from mental health disorders. The WHO defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Because mental health is... Read More

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