Health and Wellness

October 11, 2023

Steps You Can Take When an Aging Parent Refuses Help

The parent/child relationship is a complex one, and often becomes more so as the parent ages and the caregiver roles are reversed. It’s not easy to support a parent who is going through this experience. And it’s even harder when they consistently refuse help.

When trying to persuade an elderly loved one to accept help — either from you or from a professional caregiver — you’ve probably found that navigating personalities, anxiety, shame, frustration, and plain old stubbornness can be exhausting and highly stressful.

However, there are steps you can take to negotiate a care plan that works for both you and your loved one.

October 4, 2023

Navigating the First Year of Widowhood

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

Few events in life are as difficult and overwhelming as the death of a spouse, especially in the first year after the loss.

Whether or not you consider yourself prepared – mentally, financially, and legally – the reality is that the loss of a spouse is a devastating event no matter how much advanced planning you have done.

In addition to the sorrow itself, the passing of your life partner can create a whirlwind of uncertainty that leaves you trying to figure out how to get through the first few days and weeks, then the first year, and ultimately, the path you want to take in the next chapter of your life.

September 5, 2023

4 Key Ways to Help Prevent Falls

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

“Ever since she fell it’s been downhill from there…”

We’ve heard this so many times!

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), of people 65 and over, more than one out of four of them fall. This equates to about 3 million people treated in emergency rooms and over 800,000 patients hospitalized annually due to complications from a fall.

While the majority of falls do not cause significant physical problems, approximately 20% of falls do cause serious injuries such as broken bones, head trauma, or simply increase both the fear and the likelihood of future falls.

Common Causes of Falls

August 16, 2023

How Equine-assisted Therapy is Helping People with Special Needs

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

The bond between people and horses is a strong one. Over the millennia, this interspecies relationship has evolved from one of equine servitude as a beast of burden to one in which horses share our lives in a much more intimate and integral way.

Cowboys in the West still rely on their trusty Quarter Horses to wrangle livestock. Equestrians all across the world breed, train, and compete with their four-legged athletic partners. And young children still fall in love with the idea of someday having a pony of their very own. Even people who have never ridden a horse can enjoy the animal’s majestic beauty.

Horses also often take on therapeutic roles. Dating back to Ancient Greece, equine therapy has long been used to treat a variety of physical ailments including cerebral palsy, behavioral tics, motor control issues, and coordination problems.

July 27, 2023

Discover Tranquility Within Your iPhone

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

By: Beth Dance

As a working mom and active human being, I treasure blissful relaxation. Some nights it’s seemingly simple and I fall asleep within seconds of my head hitting the pillow. However, there are certainly nights where I lay awake excruciatingly long, drumming up to-do lists with my brain negating rest.

Recently, in an anxious and desperate moment, I think I actually googled the words “how to fall asleep faster” and what I found was an instant game changer.

July 10, 2023

Aging Well – Healthy Eating Tips for Older Adults

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

Eating healthy is important at all stages of life, but perhaps especially as we grow older and our bodies need all the advantages we can give them. When we’re younger, we can get away with paying less attention to the recommended nutrition guidelines and overindulging here and there, but aging bodies need a little more TLC.

The good news is that eating healthy doesn’t have to be hard, and it doesn’t have to be boring.

In fact, eating a more balanced and varied diet can expand your culinary horizons. And taking better care about what you eat has so many benefits: more energy, healthier weight, stronger bones, more resilient immune system, happier outlook, and fewer trips to the doctor, just to name a few.

April 26, 2023

Dream Big! Your Next Phase Awaits

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

By Colleen Masse

When my children were little, a neighbor told me: “just remember, everything is a phase.”

The point they were making was that if there was something annoying or frustrating my kids were doing, that I only needed to wait a while and it would likely stop on its own.

March 28, 2023

Making Sensory Inclusion More of a Mainstream Movement

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

If you have never experienced it yourself, it can be difficult to understand what it’s like to feel deep anxiety and even physical pain as the result of being exposed to sensory stimuli like sounds, scents, lights, and crowds.

For people with sensory sensitivity, the intensity of these experiences ranges on a scale from mere inconvenience to completely incapacitating.

This issue is not nearly as rare as most people assume. In fact, 1 in 6 people living in the United States have either a sensory need or an invisible disability that makes them more prone to sensory needs. This group includes people with PTSD, autism, and dementia, as well as people who have had strokes.

March 20, 2023

Multigenerational Vacations: 6 Steps For Planning a Trip Together

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

There are few experiences more transformational than travel. Visiting new places, whether near or far, has a way of opening our hearts and minds.

And when we travel with people we love, there is the added benefit of being able to share those memorable experiences. From a simple weekend road trip to a month-long journey exploring another country, travel can change your life and your relationships for the better.

Two of the things people missed most during the first two years of Covid were spending time with family and travel. Knowing this, it’s not that surprising that as Covid-related travel restrictions lifted more and more people started booking trips that included extended family. Multigenerational travel was a growing trend prior to Covid, and it has become even more popular now that—hopefully—the worst of the pandemic is over.

November 15, 2022

Why the Kitchen is the Heart of Your Home

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

By: Jill Brightman

The slightest aroma of sugar and vanilla can transport me instantly back in time to my grandmother’s kitchen. Each time I would visit, she always had my favorite – sugar cookies with a cherry in the middle – waiting to welcome me.

This happy recollection of my childhood, like so many other special memories, is undeniably intertwined with the vivid smells of the sweet treats I made in the kitchen with my grandparents, my mother, and now with my own children.