Welcome Wisdom

Communication for the Aging Family

March 1, 2024 — 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

January 2, 2024 — 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

August 1, 2023 — 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

July 6, 2022 — 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! 

October 20, 2021 — 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…

September 2, 2021 — 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

When the hits just keep coming…

August 2, 2021 — by Gail Arno, CMC, ECM Director of Care Management This time we revisit the experience of our client BettyJean and the challenges she faced being vulnerable, alone, and aging with both physical and cognitive challenges. BettyJean was living in her own home, had hired caregiving support with a caregiver who was slowly taking more and more... Read More

The divergent paths couples often face as they age

May 4, 2021 — by Gail Arno, CMC, ECM Director of Care Management Imagine an adult child, niece or nephew, or the spouse of an individual who is aging, tasked with trying to balance and meet the needs of both individuals, all while trying to continue on with their own life. This is likely the most challenging scenario we manage with our clients; couples who have spent a lifetime together working in unison (for the most part!), tackling whatever life throws their... Read More

When you need somebody to lean on

April 12, 2021 — by Gail Arno, CMC, ECM Director of Care Management Even in the best of times, incomplete and under-developed family support systems with strained familial relationships and poorly developed communication skills can be extremely challenging and futile. As one is aging and in need of support from the many resources necessary for successful aging, gaps in these basic areas can often make the aging journey an... Read More

More insight and knowledge we have garnered from our clients

March 1, 2021 — by Gail Arno, CMC, ECM Director of Care Management We approach our clients with our eyes open and with a whole person-holistic mind. The aging process isn’t just about managing the body and all parts included but perhaps it is even more so about the psycho-social side of aging. So when we begin our working relationships with our clients, we are always trying to understand not just this current portion of their lives... Read More