Welcome Wisdom

The Shift from Reactive to Intentional Aging- and Six Decisions to Make before 80

— by Louie Handugan, Incoming Director of Care Management In our January newsletter, we explored what it really means to age with intention—how growing older isn’t simply about adding years, but about adding direction and meaning to those years. This month, we’re taking that idea one step further. If intention is the engine, design is the... Read More

Aging with Intention: Designing the Road Ahead

— by Louie Handugan, Incoming Director of Care Management Aging isn’t something that just happens to us — it’s something we can design with clarity, courage, and care. I’m deeply honored — and honestly a bit overwhelmed — to join this extraordinary team and incredible agency. After nearly 20 years in hospice leadership, stepping into... Read More

When “Someday” Becomes “Today”

— by Jason Wu, ECM owner On January 1st, my 84-year-old father began the New Year not with celebrations, but in the hospital—after a fall triggered by a rapid and unexpected decline in his mobility. One day he was mostly himself. A few weeks later, he was incontinent, unsteady, and profoundly changed. At the same time,... Read More

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

Older posts