Category: Family Resource

Linnea* and her husband, Gary*, enjoyed a full and active life, splitting their time between their home in Maple Grove and their lake house on the North Shore. That lifestyle hit a wall in December 2020 when Gary suffered a stroke. Almost overnight, this formerly independent man struggled to walk, speak, and swallow, lost the […]

Click to listen to an audio conversation about this topic: Your parents are getting older, and while they insist they’re fine, you’re not so sure. If your parents had always kept a tidy home, you’d probably be concerned about the ants crawling across the kitchen counter, the puddles of water on the basement floor, and […]

Before Mary was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), she loved being outdoors, whether taking a six-mile hike or digging in her garden. As her condition progressed, however, walking became increasingly difficult. Finally, after a serious fall landed her in the hospital, and then to transitional care (TCU), Mary realized she couldn’t return home. […]

A couple of months ago, my mom tripped on an uneven chunk of sidewalk, fracturing her patella, bruising her hands, and lacerating the skin above her left eyebrow. The ER doctors put her in a hip-to-ankle brace to immobilize her leg and stitched up her forehead. Considering her age (just shy of 90), my mom’s […]

Long after my sisters and I left home, my mom decided it was time to upsize. That’s right, upsize to a bigger house, adding on a porch, deck, and a room over the garage. Mom had always wanted a dream home, and after raising three kids in a tiny house with just one bathroom, she […]