joy loverde

Path Carver.
Keynote Speaker.
Best-selling Author.

Solo Aging ♦ Senior Living ♦ Aging Parents

Death & Dying

What is age for anyway?

I returned to my hotel room last night with a heavy heart after giving a presentation to people who attended my talk about planning for the future. Many attendees said they chose to retire and wished they had not done so. They said that they feel depressed, lonely, and lost most days. To retire or […]

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Aging Alone? Here’s a simple plan.

Who will take care of me when I’m old? This unsettling question is on the minds of millions of people who have never married, are separated, divorced, or widowed. With people living longer than ever, if we live long enough, all of us can expect to age solo. In recent years, the definition of solo aging has

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Worried about your aging parents? Don’t say a word to them until you read this.

You have a feeling that it’s time to pay attention to your aging parents. They are healthy and active now, but you are well aware of what may happen down the road. They may be diagnosed with a chronic illness. Or worse yet, they may run out of money. And YOU don’t want to be

Worried about your aging parents? Don’t say a word to them until you read this. Read More »

Anger, Caregiving, and Aging Parents: What To Do About It

Let’s say your mom got scammed by someone over the phone and kept it a secret because she felt foolish and embarrassed. Or conversations with Dad escalate into shouting matches on a regular basis. You’re so angry all the time that by now you’re beginning to suffer from physical symptoms like headaches, frequent colds, interrupted

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Attention Adult Children: Got an Aging Parent Who Does Nothing All Day?

You get along fine with Mom and Dad. You have your life, and they have theirs. You do what you want and so do they. Sometimes that means your parents spend their entire day doing nothing more than sitting around the house watching TV, reading the newspaper, making something to eat, taking naps, and watching

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Family Caregivers: Are you addicted to busyness?

Author, Damon Brown writes, “’Projects, people and passions can keep us on the move, but there is a distinct difference between busyness and productivity. Productivity feels like you do not want to stop. Busyness feels like you cannot stop.” Busyness fulfils the ego. Busyness becomes a measurement of worth. Busyness fulfills guilt. Not taking a

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Caring for Aging Parents? How Can I Be In Two Place At Once?

Managing the care of parents and others requires updating our mindsets to fit the situation. On any given day we grapple with questions like: Who makes the decisions? Who pays for what? We also ride the daily emotional rollercoaster, simultaneously feeling sad, angry, guilty, loving and helpless and often wonder if we are “losing it.”

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Holidays Are NOT the Ideal Time to Talk About Eldercare – Part 1

With the holiday season fast approaching, you may think this is an ideal time to openly discuss eldercare needs with the people in your immediate family. And I think otherwise. You’ve probably heard the expression, “timing is everything.” That statement is especially true when it comes to holiday family gatherings. Think about a past situation

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How to Get Your Aging Parents to Exercise

When I walked into Mom’s apartment, she was sitting on the sofa with a bag of ice on her arm. Seeing her sitting there looking sad and out of sorts stopped me dead in my tracks. As I was trying to process the situation, she said, “Aren’t you going to feel sorry for me?” I

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Worried about your aging parents? We Don’t Choose Eldercare. Eldercare Chooses Us.

When eldercare comes knocking at the door, many people run in the opposite direction; but not you. Just as childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, and middle age are developmental phases of life, you acknowledge that someone you care about is going to get old and that someone is going to need care and attention. You may

Worried about your aging parents? We Don’t Choose Eldercare. Eldercare Chooses Us. Read More »