Category: Seek On Blog (Consumer)

COVID-19 has brought a new sense of urgency to advance care planning. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve been trying to get in front of this difficult situation by having honest discussions with our clients and their family members,” said Jill Titze, Lifespark Nurse Practitioner. “Many seniors who test positive for the disease do […]

My dad was really late. For about 20 minutes, I’d been standing at the checkout lanes where we’d agreed to meet. He wasn’t usually a slow shopper. In fact, he liked going to Walmart because it was the one place where it didn’t matter that his legs were 90 years old. He’d climb into one […]

Physical activity of any sort—traditional exercise, household chores, yard work, walking the dog, etc.—packs a positive punch that becomes even more important as we age. According to the National Institute on Aging, exercise may delay or prevent many age-related diseases, such as diabetes, colon cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Being physically active has also been […]

The conversation around Advance Directives may have gotten louder since the start of the pandemic, but Lifespark has always been passionate about helping you stay in control and more independent throughout your life journey—and part of that is deciding what kind of medical care you would want in the event that you couldn’t speak for […]

In our previous blogs, we talked about the importance of having an Advance Directive, offered conversation starters, and addressed some myths, common misconceptions, and the truth about Advance Directives. In this blog, we’re sharing personal perspectives on the topic. Certainly, the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened public awareness of how quickly and suddenly a loved one’s […]

The medical care Americans would choose near the end of their lives is often different from the treatments they actually receive, according to a 2017 study. That study, which analyzed the responses of nearly 800,000 adults from 150 different research studies, found that only 37% had Advance Directives. As we discussed in the previous blog, […]

As we discussed in the previous blog ‘Advance Directives: The Gift of A Lifetime,’ having an Advance Directive gives you control over the kind of medical care you want, or want to avoid, in case a serious illness or accident prevented you from speaking for yourself. Once you’ve put your wishes down in writing, it’s […]

For most Americans, the holidays conjure up festive images of family and friends gathered together, sharing favorite traditional foods, playing games, and exchanging gifts. While it’s hard to imagine a different sort of holiday celebration, 2020 is nothing if not different. As new COVID-19 cases continue to rise in nearly every state across the country, […]

At Lifespark, we empower individuals to maintain control of their lives as long as possible. That’s why we believe so strongly in the value of the Advance Directive—because it gives you greater control over your medical care, quality of life during disability, and end-of-life wishes in the event that you can’t communicate them verbally. It […]

This has been an exceptionally difficult year for millions of individuals, families, and communities. And yet, even in the midst of unexpected hardship and loss, the resiliency of the human spirit continues to shine all around us. To find out how people are managing, we asked half a dozen men and women ranging in age […]