M. Wells Featured in Arkansas Flavor Magazine to Discuss the Aging Family and Caregiving Journey

Navigating the Aging Family and Caregiving Journey

Recently I had the honor of sitting down with Caleb Patton from Arkansas Flavor magazine to discuss "Navigating the Journey of Caregiving". My name is Marissa Wells, LPC-S, an Aging Family Counselor and Educator in Conway, Arkansas. I help adult children, aging individuals and their families navigate aging family issues with connection and resiliency.

Have you ever been in a situation where initially you were skeptical of being "featured"? Unfortunately I've been subjected to many marketing scams where they want to "feature" you, but really it's to get you to pay for a spot to be featured. That is the worst. In fact, when Caleb asked to interview me I told him that I wanted to make sure that it wasn't for a sales meeting. I didn't want to waste either of our times. We both got a laugh out of that. He was such a kind soul to meet me in the land of skepticism.

From our first Zoom meeting I knew this would be a wonderful opportunity to help people. Caleb and I could've talked for hours about the woes of caregiving. We talked through all things aging family and caregiving challenges. From difficult family dynamics that people face, communication barriers, legal issues, and how true personalities shine in hard times. We processed through some personal caregiving journeys we've been exposed to and how we want to be different with our loved ones and our futures. That brings me to the article. Caleb summarizes our big picture conversation very well! Thank you to Caleb and Arkansas Flavor for bringing awareness to a topic that is growing with our aging population.

My favorite quote from him in this article, "Conversations about end-of-life care, including advance directives and hospice care, can be emotionally charged and difficult to initiate. However, open and honest communication with the aging individual and family members is crucial to ensure that their wishes are respected and that the end-of-life experience is as peaceful and dignified as possible. These conversations should be approached with sensitivity and understanding, allowing for open and hones expression of fears and concerns."

I'm here to help with those conversations so navigating these difficult aging family topics doesn't have to happen alone. I'd be honored if you'd read the article! Who knows, it may help you identify resources to help your own family now or in the future.