As part of the Modern Aging community, we want to hear from diverse voices that embody what it means to be a caregiver. Each contributor shares their story, what they learned from being a caregiver; what they wished they knew beforehand; what they worry about most; and how they self-care. These are common issues that bind us but how we handle these challenges are often very different depending on our families, cultures, situations, locations. We hope that by sharing their stories, you will find comfort and insight in your caregiving experience as well as possibly learn something new!
My parents are artists. They are also Japanese so it is no surprise that beautiful, simple design and aesthetics were emphasized in our upbringing. In fact, to this day we often hilariously quote my father when we see something ugly. “Why so uguri uguri?” he would ask. Haha. Yeah, my sentiments exactly. Why as we get older and we need more assistance, does the design often have to be so ugly and institutional looking?
No one ever wants to get the diagnosis for Alzheimer’s Disease. When my dad was diagnosed in 2016 for frontotemporal dementia, it was a mixture of overwhelm (we have been caring for our mom since 2001 who had a stroke and now has Parkinson’s), sadness, anxiety and frustration. But
Do you know what advance directives are? When Mom had her stroke, we were in shock. She was a vibrant, independent, seemingly healthy 65 year old. She worked at the restaurant she created, did yoga, spent time with friends, took the dog on a walk daily. She laid in
My parents are artists. They are also Japanese so it is no surprise that beautiful, simple design and aesthetics were emphasized in our upbringing. In fact, to this day we often hilariously quote my father when we see something ugly. “Why so uguri uguri?” he would ask. Haha. Yeah, my sentiments exactly. Why as we get older and we need more assistance, does the design often have to be so ugly and institutional looking?
We are excited to kick off the series with a former boss from my days working at NYU. Mona Kreaden was a very caring boss. She helped me in so many ways personally and professionally. She was always polished, professional…and always single from the time I knew her, and happily so. We lost touch after I left NYU and fast forward 20 years later, we recently reconnected.
I think many of us have heard of palliative care but there seems to be a lot of confusion on what it is exactly. That’s what we are going to clarify in today’s episode. Dr. Heather Sung is a palliative care physician in Connecticut and shares what it is, how it differs from hospice and how we can incorporate palliative care in our treatment plans that can result in better outcomes and better quality of life.
As they often say, the years seem to go by faster as we grow older. It feels so true, doesn’t it? As we ring in another year, I thought it would be a good time to talk about starting your or your loved ones’ care plan. That starts with having the initial conversation.
I have been curious about medical cannabis for many years. I’ve read articles and watched videos about it being ‘miracle medicine.’ I’ve heard it has great results for patients with Parkinson’s, epilepsy, cancer, autoimmune diseases, pain management, and the list goes on. A friend introduced me to Dr. Chin and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to finally convince my mom that cannabis could potentially help her.
I got to visit a hospital in Japan and it’s called the Watanabe New Heart Hospital in Tokyo. Wow. This is the kind of hospital I wish we had here in the States. The doctors and nurses treat you as though you are royalty. The accommodations are fit for a 5 star hotel. And the food? Wow…the cafeteria food is like eating at a Michelin star restaurant! I was certainly impressed and inspired.
