Stealing

There seems to be odd things missing from my mother’s dresser in her bedroom – she lives in our hosue with us. Lately some of her jewellery and money have gone missing. I expect my cleaning lady is stealing from her.

Jan

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The Sandpiper

She was six years old when I first met her on the beach near where I live. I drive to this beach, a distance of three or four miles, whenever the world begins to close in on me.  She was building a sand castle or something and looked up, her eyes as blue as the…

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Five big lessons I’ve learned

?I spent some quiet time with my mother at her nursing home late yesterday. It was shortly after dinner. Some of her fellow residents were watching television. Others were already being readied for bed.

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How To Talk About Money

I was honoured to contribute an article in the recent edition of a wonderful magazine called: “Solutions” I write about the challenges and the importance of talking with an aging parent about financial and legal issues. If you would like a copy of this magazine, please let me know.

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NUMB

My father-in-law is not doing well. Some say it will be less than a month before he dies. What should we do?

Jon

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CHRISTINE’S STORY: Spa-ing on Mother’s Day

Mom lives in a long-term-care facility and relishes the chance to “escape” every so often. This year, my sister and I decided to do something special as a Mother’s Day treat.

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Every other year!

My mother-in-law just died and my husband came home and told me that he has made an arrangement with his sister about their mother’s ashes. Here is what they have decided (all without opinions of other, of course).

Each will keep the urn for one year. On the anniversary of their mother’s death, they will transfer the urn to the other person. So, it will start that my sister-in-law gets the urn first – for the first year. Then we get it for the second year, and so on.

I think that they should have talked to us (their families) before the two of them decided this. What do you think?

RB

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Memory and cognitive decline: Family challenges

From observations of both my clients and my father, who was diagnosed with Pick’s disease in the early ’90s, I know that dementia and cognitive decline can bring out both the best and the worst in families.

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Call Your Mother!

It is Mother’s Day this weekend and once again I have to remind my husband to call his mother. Honestly, this happens every year. Without me reminding him, I swear he would never call her. Why do I have to do this? What should I do?

Judy

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HANK’S STORY: The gift of sound

For the past year or so, my husband and I have noticed that my dad’s hearing has been going downhill. It first started when we were travelling with him and mom. He kept asking us to repeat what we were saying.

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