I spent 30 years advising families on senior care — and I still wasn’t ready to take care of my mom
“I’m sorry for keeping my phone on,” I said as I introduced myself at a recent conference. I was excited...
Articles by Jody Gastfriend
Having the inheritance talk with parents brings both sadness and relief
Several months ago my sister made a surprising suggestion: Let’s sit down with Mom and figure out how this whole...
We are not our parents’ parent: Balancing caring for an aging parent and honoring their independence
I often refer to my 89-year-old mother as the Energizer Bunny. She’s always on the go and is good at...
How to have tough conversations with a senior: 6 strategies for every family
Clara always had a contentious relationship with her fiercely-independent mother, and things didn’t get easier with time. Then, Clara’s mother...
Want to enjoy old age? This 90-year-old has one simple trick, and science backs her up
As Bette Davis famously quipped, “Old age ain’t no place for sissies.” My mother knows this all too well. In a couple of months, she’ll turn 90...
What Millennials really want to know about caregiving for their parents
Not long ago, I was invited to speak—virtually—to an audience that you wouldn’t normally think of when you think about...
The hidden costs of Alzheimer’s disease
When Rick could not remember where he kept his trusted toolbox, and then forgot his computer passwords, Sandy — Rick’s...
What ‘Succession’ and Sumner Redstone can teach us about planning ahead for senior care
Many of us have read the titillating and tragic story of Sumner Redstone, the former executive chairman of Viacom, and the...
How to care for a parent who couldn’t care for you
When my friend Morgan began caring for her father, I remember being surprised. I didn’t know Morgan’s dad was even...
As baby boomers move into old age, who will care for us?
My high school buddies and I recently got together and reminisced about old times. “Can you believe we’re 60?” we...
When siblings share the caregiving for an aging parent: Will it be welfare or warfare?
“It shouldn’t have to be this hard,” says Kelly, a 55-year-old woman caring for her 89-year-old father with Parkinson’s disease....
The cost of caregiving: Meet the millennials taking a 2nd (unpaid) shift
At the tender age of 14, Angelina, an earnest and soft-spoken middle schooler, began caring for her mother, who suffered...
6 ways to prepare for the senior caregiving journey
The oft-circuitous journey of caring for aging parents catches many of us off guard. As our parents enter the challenging...
The 6 signs of decline to watch for in senior loved ones
Is it inevitable that aging must bring disease, debilitation and dementia? Jack Lalanne, the exercise guru, continued his two-hour daily...