A Collective Brain Health Check
Reflections on American Dementia – 2026
In American Dementia – Brain Health in an Unhealthy Society, published in 2021, Daniel George and Peter Whitehouse invite us [...]
365 Ways to Say I Care
Way #8: The Three-Way Family Call
Why this helps: Maintaining social bonds is vital for emotional health. A facilitated group call reduces the pressure of one-on-one [...]
Dementia is not a tragedy
Emotional? Yes. Tragedy? No. My mom, Tom Kitwood, and me
Art by Almeta Fridley. What a joy to watch her work! Author: Mary Fridley Faculty, East Side Institute . . [...]
A Matter of Heart
Women’s hearts are different
We’re finally understanding that women’s hearts don’t work the same way as men’s, and that knowledge is saving lives. Research [...]
Speaking of mind, body, spirit
Welcome to the Full Circle Ranch
The beginning of a new year and time to freshen our official welcome! Thus, this updated WELCOME can be found [...]
365 Ways to Say I Care
The NOVELTY EXPLAINER – Part I: What This Is
🌱 What Makes 365 Ways to Say I Care Different Most resources about dementia focus on decline — and too [...]
365 Ways to Say I Care
Way #7: Create a “What’s Next?” News Center
Why this helps: A visual, centralized hub for the day's plan reduces anxiety and confusion by creating predictable structure. It [...]
Direction of the Ethical Compass
American Doctors Are Moving to Canada
Author: Brett Kelman, KFF Health News Illustrator: Oona Zenda, KFF Health News Earlier this year, as President Donald Trump was [...]
Touch Therapy in Alzheimer's Care
Hands On Research: The Science of Touch
Author Dacher Keltner explains how compassion is literally at our fingertips. Greater Good‘s latest video features the executive editor, Dacher [...]
365 Ways to Say I Care
Way #6: Pampering – The Weekly Manicure
Why this helps: A gentle manicure is an attentive, loving touch that fosters connection. This focused care is more than [...]
Still, after decades of research...
Dementia Stigma and Discrimination: A Rights-based Perspective
Author: Kate Swaffer © 2026 Despite decades of research, and public awareness efforts — including the widespread proliferation of the [...]
Enhancing cognitive health
Creativity is good for the brain and might even slow down its ageing – new study
Creative experience might enhance brain health, which could slow down the brain’s ageing. That’s according to a study by a [...]
365 Ways to Say I Care
Way #5: Create a Mini-Ikebana Arrangement
This creative act engages the senses of sight, touch, and smell, providing a sense of purpose and collaborative achievement. It [...]
365 Ways to Say I Care
Way #4: Share a poetry moment
Poetry engages the imagination and emotional heart, offering connection beyond facts or memory. Sharing a poem creates a novel, shared [...]
A DRAMATIC reduction in risk
Study: Small Amounts of Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity Are Associated with Big Reductions in Dementia Risk
Findings suggest that even frail older adults may benefit from a little exercise We are all aware that physical activity [...]
365 Ways to Say I Care
Way #3: Take A Christmas photo to frame and wrap as a gift
Why this matters when caring for someone with Alzheimer's: Is there anyone who doesn’t stand up a little taller when [...]
Two essential traits in dementia care
Empathy and reasoning aren’t rivals – new research shows they work together to drive people to help more
Authors: Kyle Fiore Law, Brendan Bo O'Connor, and Stylianos Syropoulos For years, philosophers and psychologists have debated whether empathy helps [...]
Writing rewires the brain
Writing builds resilience by changing your brain, helping you face everyday challenges
Writing is a way of thinking and doing. Author: Emily Ronay Johnston, PhD Ordinary and universal, the act of writing [...]
365 Ways to Say I Care
Way #2: An Impromptu Dance Break
When words fail, movement can speak volumes. For this "Way," we’re encouraging you to shake up the routine[...]
Science validates simple rituals
Finding Beauty in Everyday Life: Uplifting Practices for Caregivers
Life’s beauty often hides in the simplest things—a warm smile, a beautiful piece of music, a bouquet, or[...]
365 Ways to Say I Care
Let’s start with Way #1: Music playlist
If you’re a caregiver, you know how easily days can be dominated by tasks and challenges. What if we could intentionally weave in moments of joy and connection?
Our soul purpose
Research findings, media stories and articles to inspire new narratives about people living with dementia
Our mission is to amplify my mother's voice in shaping a more compassionate conversation around brain health[...]
Healing the human spirit
The International Writers Center Reminds Us of Our Humanity
I have often quoted Bill Thomas, MD, geriatrician, in prior blog posts. His words first crossed my desk[...]
Memes mightier than swords
Finding my voice again – one meme at a time
It’s been a while since I’ve posted here — way longer than I would ever have intended! Life has a[...]
A Beautiful Voice Production
An International Writers Center Takes it to the Streets: Reimagining Dementia Through Global Stories
ABeautifulVoice.org is delighted to contribute to the global campaign, Reimagining Dementia: Taking It [...]
Singing Transforms Us
4 Reasons Why Singing is Good for the Brain (at Any Age)
When people are diagnosed with dementia, their caregivers often insist on lots of peace and quiet [...]
6 Expert Tips from South Asia
How to Arrange Celebrations with Family
Gathering with cherished family members and friends to celebrate occasions and holidays is a heartwarming [...]
Stitching Hearts Together
Threads of Time – Weaving Memories in the Heart of a Village
It's incredibly wonderful to picture that peaceful village in rural Pakistan, where the traditions of a close-knit [...]
A Lovely Sense of Place
Bird-watching and Our Simple but Essential Paraphernalia
It was not until I was a student at the same college which Mother attended for her first two years that I learned [...]
Nourishing Body and Soul
Memory in Meals: The Role of Shared Meals in Dementia Care
There's a certain magic in shared meals. It's when we sit together, eat, laugh, and share stories. For families [...]
Gardening Nurtures Well-Being
A Therapeutic Venture Promoting Quality of Life
Did you know gardening can improve attention span, reduce agitation, and instill a powerful sense of purpose? [...]
Opening Doors to a Richer Life
Nature’s Role in Nurturing People Living With Dementia
Dementia care often centers around medication and structured indoor activities. We find solace in the familiar [...]
A Physician's Insight
Embracing a multidisciplinary approach that transcends medical interventions
The unprecedented advent of COVID-19 has revealed glaring disparities in our healthcare system, particularly [...]
Caregivers as invisible frontline
Our Stories Still Matter in the Wake of the 2024 Election–Part II
The Carters’ Legacy and the Work Ahead In Part I, we explored storytelling as a tool to heal division. Now, [...]
Silence is complicity
Our Stories Still Matter in the Wake of the 2024 Election–Part I
The 2024 election is over, but its wounds are fresh. The chasm between us feels wider, the rhetoric harsher, and [...]
Evidence-based health insights
Come Together: Be Part of a Global Movement for Health and Sustainability
I look forward to the Food Revolution Summit every single year. For over a decade, this transformative online event has [...]
Meaning matters
Pope Francis’ death right after Easter sounds miraculous – but patients and caregivers often work together to delay dying
Author: Michelle Riba, University of Michigan On the morning of Easter Monday, after his final public address the day prior, [...]
Music transcending division
How Music Can Bridge Generational Differences
Brandi Carlile & Joni Mitchell at the Newport Folk Festival in 2022 - WFUV Public Radio/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 By Marc [...]
May truth be told!
Medicaid Advocates Say Critics Use Loaded Terms To Gain Edge in Congressional Debate
We put “loved ones” in nursing homes, underfund them as a society, and hope to never need one ourselves. – [...]
This moral moment
US Senator Cory Booker just spoke for 25 hours in Congress. What was he trying to achieve?
"Moments like this require us to be more creative or more imaginative, or just more persistent and dogged and determined." [...]
Managing dementia complexities
Just adding nursing home staff won’t ensure quality dementia care
“Our findings highlight the fact that high-quality care involves not only increased staffing, but also specialized training in practices proven to [...]
Prioritizing our brain health
10 Transformative Practices for improved memory & sharper focus [FREE eBook!]
As we stand on the brink of life-changing discoveries in neuroscience, it’s more evident than ever that the decisions we [...]
Fostering cognitive health
Your environment can increase your dementia risk
A new study focuses on the powerful role our surroundings play in shaping dementia risk. The meta-analysis demonstrates that factors [...]
Unlock a better brain!
Better brain health is possible – here’s a blueprint
Have you ever felt drained, anxious, unable to focus, or like you’re struggling to think clearly? If so, it’s not [...]
Our core values matter
See me – hear me
We are holding this space for “transforming thoughts” – featuring actionable ideas from past and present thought leaders.[...]
Building neural networks
How does the brain think?
Have you ever wondered how your brain creates thoughts or why something randomly popped into your head?[...]
A common denominator
There is nothing inevitable or natural about chronic disease
In the 1830s, British settlers in New Zealand imported European rabbits for food and sport. [...]
Transcend traditional barriers
YouTube – Transforming Dementia Care: A New Perspective
In the evolving landscape of healthcare, particularly in the domain of dementia care, the introduction of the [...]
Transforming thoughts
See me – hear me
Dear friends, We are holding this space for “transforming thoughts.” Some are written specifically for the dementia community. All are included here because[...]
Big picture question
Do We Simply Not Care About Old People?
I put this big-picture question, which rarely gets asked amid debates over budgets and policies, to health care professionals, researchers, [...]
Reclaiming dignity in dying
The Lost Art of Dying – A Book Review
Dr. Lydia Dugdale's book, "The Lost Art of Dying: Reviving Forgotten Wisdom" revisits the forgotten wisdom of ancient practices around [...]
Food for holistic health
Your body wants to be healthy! All it needs is the raw materials to re-build!
Food is medicine. Dear dementia caregivers, If you’re experiencing fatigue, weight gain, sleep issues, stress, or cravings for sweet or [...]
Instruments of peace
Teach Us to Count Our Days by Rev. Lynn Casteel Harper
“So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” Psalm 90:12 Rev. Lynn Casteel [...]
A Dementia-Inclusive Event
HEART AND POWER: Utilizing Play for Your Mental Health
Mary Fridley, Coordinator of Reimagining Dementia: A Creative Coalition for Justice, recently sent word to us at ABeautifulVoice.org about an [...]
Shaping the future of dementia care
Tribute to Kate Swaffer and Her Trailblazing Mission
Kate Swaffer is more than a name behind the Dementia Justice Report. She's an advocate, a voice, and a beacon [...]
Focusing on the present moment
Stressed out? Why mindfulness and meditation help us cope with the world
In a world fraught with anxiety, stress, and environmental and humanitarian disasters, people are looking for ways to cope. Many [...]
Transforming thoughts
See me – hear me
Dear friends, We are holding this space for “transforming thoughts.” Some are written specifically for the dementia community. All are [...]
Are we really all that different?
FREE eBook: 7 Surprising Differences Between Women’s & Men’s Brains ♀️♂️
Are we really all that different? Find out how these differences may impact you! You’ve probably heard the saying, “Men [...]
Challenging our cultural biases
TED Talk – Ashton on Ageism: Seeing the world through a more informed lens!
“Ageism refers to the stereotypes (how we think), prejudices (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or [...]
Motivated by a compassionate spirit
How spirituality can help us cope with the trials of ageing
Spiritual engagement is losing out to efficiency when it comes to older age. Authors: John Wattis and Stephen Curran [...]
An urgent call to action!
Restoring Humanity in Dementia Care: A New Beginning
In our journey to understand and reimagine dementia care, we draw inspiration from the words of Mary Fridley, the Coordinator [...]
Reducing dementia risk
Alcohol and drugs rewire your brain by changing how your genes work – research is investigating how to counteract addiction’s effect
Alcohol and other drugs can overpower the reward pathways of the brain... But in recent years, we have learned that [...]
Engagement in dementia care
TEDx Talk: Rehumanizing Medicine – Bringing Compassion to the Forefront of Patient Care
Explore Dr. Anthony Orsini's insights on the importance of compassion and human connection in healthcare. We beam a light on [...]
Promoting caregiver well-being
What’s the best diet for healthy sleep? A nutritional epidemiologist explains what food choices will help you get more restful z’s
A balanced diet is one key factor in getting a restful night’s sleep.... More and more research points to linkages [...]
Transforming thoughts
See me – hear me
Dear friends, We are holding this space for “transforming thoughts." Some are written specifically for the dementia community. All are [...]
The cycle of life surrounds us
Inspiring new beginnings in caring for people living with dementia
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (July 8, 1926 – August 24, 2004) was a Swiss-American psychiatrist, a pioneer in near-death studies, and author of the internationally [...]
Managing dementia complexities
Just adding nursing home staff won’t ensure quality dementia care
“Our findings highlight the fact that high-quality care involves not only increased staffing, but also specialized training in practices proven to [...]
Most striking: Unpaid caregiving
Dementia takes a toll on finances and family
People with dementia often face a rapid rise in unpaid and paid home care, and major erosion of net worth [...]
Understanding the issues
Empowerment Through Knowledge: Delve into the Comprehensive Dementia Justice Report
Best of 2023 dementia research - the Comprehensive Dementia Justice Report Knowledge is power, and understanding the issues at hand [...]
Advocate and champion for many!
In-Depth Exploration: A Closer Look at Kate Swaffer and Her Mission
Through her continued advocacy against the violation of human rights for people living with dementia, Kate Swaffer is protecting others [...]
Heroes in the truest sense
2023 Change Catalysts: Honoring Kate Swaffer & Linda Steele – Visionaries Behind the Dementia Justice Report
The report found many common beliefs amongst all stakeholders about the need for reparations. This includes recognition of the human [...]
A call to action in 2024
2023 Breaking News: Unveiling the Critical Dementia Justice Report
Linda and Kate's work was published in The Health and Human Rights Journal at Harvard University in December 2022. The [...]
Moving forward in 2024
2023 Breaking News: The Dementia Justice Report – Research headline news of the year
It's not about moving on. It's about moving forward - by shedding light on dementia care realities in 2023. Authors: Linda [...]
The invulnerability of the soul
Are You an Optimist? Could You Learn to Be? Your Health May Depend on It.
People may be more likely to experience optimism if they enjoy good health and a good quality of life. But [...]
Seeking healing of all living things
There is much more to mindfulness than the popular media hype
Have the benefits of meditation been overhyped in the West? Author: Pierce Salguero, PhD Mindfulness is seemingly everywhere these days. [...]
Celebrating soul care
Spirituality and its implications for dementia care
We can acquire this knowledge, and it can lead us to greater sensitivity to others and to the environment surrounding [...]
Exploring our inner space
What does it mean to be spiritual?
Increasingly, North American millennials identify as spiritual as opposed to religious. To them, part of this spirituality means being compassionate, [...]
Nurturing body, mind, spirit
Good foods for the mindful caregiver
Scientific evidence reveals that one of the top strategies for great mental health is also one of the most often [...]
The power of humility
A researcher’s prescription for better health care: A dose of humility for doctors, nurses and clinicians
Humility among health care providers can help prevent burnout. Author: Barret Michalec, Arizona State University Better health care for patients [...]
Embracing our shared humanity
How to Transform Dementia Care: Empowering Care Partners with Compassion
In the progression of dementia, when the ability to function independently gradually changes, it's not merely the inherent losses that [...]
Let the sun shine in!
Could ‘musical medicine’ influence healthy aging?
Many of us have favorite songs that can help us relax after a hectic day or get us moving on [...]
Soul matters
How to Empower Care Partners in Dementia Care: A Celebration of Unbreakable Bonds
In the tender journey of dementia caregiving, the unbreakable bond between caregivers and their loved ones forms the heart and [...]
Oxygen for the soul
The Untapped Power of Laughter: A Breakthrough in Dementia Care?
Laughter in Dementia Care: A Healing Revelation I still remember my father’s birthday, a day that could have been shadowed [...]
Flexing our creative muscles!
Participating in the arts creates paths to healthy aging
We all know to eat right, exercise, and get a good night’s sleep to stay healthy. But can flexing our creative muscles help [...]
Awesomeness!
Does your doctor talk to you about this?
We’re in the midst of a major crisis, and it all hinges on the food we eat. Most people are [...]
Create Your Growth Plan
Part III – Reparations Update – What Does Change Look Like?
Introduction In the previous parts of this article, we've begun to take a look into the concept of reparations for [...]
"Do no harm" - Hippocrates
Part II – Reparations Report in Australia – Will This Impact the US System?
Introduction Welcome to ABeautifulVoice.org, where today we're diving into a thought-provoking topic raised in part 1 of our article: "Reparations [...]
Stand for Justice
Part I – Reparations for harms experienced in residential aged care – a review
“I think all of the people I’ve spoken to in my advocacy journey, the reason they are involved is because [...]
Changing one's mindset
Gratitude is an action and not just a sentiment
Having just posted a quote by Robert Emmons, PhD, on our Facebook page, I was reminded of my parents' non-stop gratitude [...]
Giving with a grateful heart
Gratitude journals may change our brains
“When we are counting our blessings, this part of the brain is giving us this neural currency that makes us [...]
Transforming thoughts
A key to creating meaningful moments
Dr. Al Power, the author of this quote, is a geriatrician, author, educator, and composer/songwriter. In his role as an [...]
Shattering the silence
“Taking It to the Streets” campaign presented by Reimagining Dementia
International Grassroots Campaign to Shatter the Silence Around Dementia NEW YORK, NY, June 13, 2023 — Reimagining Dementia: A Creative [...]
Joy rocks!
“Let’s Reimagine” Trailer (1:14) – Experience the JOY
"Reimagining Dementia" is a creative coalition for justice comprised of an international group of people living with dementia, care partners, [...]
Transforming thoughts
See me – hear me
Dear friends, We are holding this space for “transforming thoughts” – featuring actionable ideas from past and present thought leaders. [...]
Contributing beyond 100th birthday
Tribute to trailblazing cardiologist who connected healthy lifestyle and heart health
Dr. Jeremiah Stamler was a pioneer in heart disease prevention. (Photo courtesy of Northwestern University) Dr. Jeremiah Stamler, a trailblazing [...]
High-sugar diets and health
Yes, too much sugar is bad for our health – here’s what the science says
"One of the most important global challenges in public health nutrition is halting the continuing rise in rates of obesity, [...]
Being countercultural
Creating rich relationships engaging with older people
The words in this meme were spoken by Rev. Lynn Casteel Harper in an interview conducted by Judith Graham, a [...]
Journey of the spirit
Love heals the heart resonating with joy
In the final months of her life while she was bedfast, my mother – Miss Ethel – sang in the [...]
Promoting well-being in aging
Good hydration linked to healthy aging in report released January 2, 2023
"The results suggest that staying well hydrated may slow down the aging process and prevent or delay chronic disease... The [...]
In pursuit of well-being
If sugar is so bad for us, why is the sugar in fruit OK
All types of sugars will give us the same amount of calories, whether they are from fruit or soft drink. [...]
Transform your health
Sharing my passion for the message of the film – From Food to Freedom
We know that prescription medications are a gateway to more problems, side effects, and increased disease. This film features the [...]
Refuse to be silent
Psychological tips aren’t enough – policies need to address structural inequities
Our concern is that a narrowly psychological approach overestimates individuals’ control over their own well-being, while underestimating the role of [...]
Health, Politics & Government
Elder abuse: What research says about prevalence, assessment and prevention
We’ve gathered and summarized several relevant studies on elder abuse, including research in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. [...]
A matter of heart
Tribute to Adriana: A role model with a heart which moves the world
It was a beautiful day for Sunday brunch with Adriana Iwinski and her daughter, Alexa, in Santa Rosa, a small town [...]
Food for Life
Hangry bacteria in your gut microbiome are linked to chronic disease
"Your health is what you eat." Author: Christopher Damman, Associate Professor of Gastroenterology, University of Washington Diet-related chronic diseases [...]
Join the revolution
Award-winning film tells a story of the power of food to reverse and prevent disease
When people get diagnosed with disease, they’re often told they need to take medication for the rest of their lives. [...]
Food for Life
Taste of Guanajuato City – Among Best-Kept Secrets!
“The first annual Taste of Chicago took up the three city blocks just north of the Michigan Avenue Bridge. Nearly [...]
Featured Book
American Dementia – Reflections, highlights, and ruminations from a daughter’s perspective
Awarded a National Mature Media Awards’ Gold designation for 2022 Authors: Daniel George, PhD, MSc, is Associate Professor in Medical [...]
Radical disruption: Awareness!
A Few Facts About Ageism
"Ageism refers to the stereotypes (how we think), prejudices (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or [...]
A Clarion Call
ABeautifulVoice.org joins the American Society on Aging in Celebration of Ageism Awareness Day
ABeautifulVoice.org joins the American Society on Aging to celebrate Ageism Awareness Day on Oct. 7, 2022. Modeled after the United [...]
Our soul purpose
Research findings, media stories and articles to inspire new narratives about people living with dementia
Welcome to ABeautifulVoice.org...! Mission: A lifestyle digest amplifying ways to humanize the care of people living with dementia, including approaches from [...]
Food for life
Important Rush University study: Just one cup of leafy greens adds 11 healthy years to your life!
Can eating just one cup of greens per day add 11 healthy years to your life? A 2017 study from [...]
Addressing Ageism Awareness
‘Covid Hit Us Over the Head With a Two-by-Four’: Addressing Ageism With Urgency
“Covid hit us over the head with a two-by-four, [showing that] you can’t keep doing the same thing over and [...]
Mindful music support
The music app supporting dementia care at home
"Currently, the aged care sector is in crisis, with devastating outcomes reported by the Royal Commission into Aged Care. The [...]
Leadership matters
Riane Eisler: Leading the shift from a dominator culture to a partnership culture
Since her 1987 publication of The Chalice and the Blade, I have followed the work of Riane Eisler, JD, social [...]
Our one and only planet
100% ratings on Rotten Tomatoes – Don’t miss this critically-acclaimed film!
If you love watching movies that transform the way you see the world, you won't want to miss this film. [...]
Changing one's mind
Achieving a new personal reality through the use of meditation and mindfulness
Deepak Chopra, MD, is one of the best-known figures in alternative medicine. Rudolph E. Tanzi, PhD, is a Harvard neuroscientist [...]
A new political morality
Fostering true democracy
Title: The Soul of Politics Author: Jim Wallis, American theologian, writer, teacher and political activist, outlines a new political morality [...]
Just the facts
End-of-life costs for dementia far greater than for other diseases
"Health care costs for dementia in the last years of life can be a huge financial burden for families as [...]
Do no harm
Tufts University physician asks: Want to fix America’s health care? First, focus on food
Author, Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, is Dean of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. He writes, "Recent research estimated that [...]
Transforming Thoughts
See me – Hear me
Dear friends, We are holding this space for “transforming thoughts” - featuring actionable ideas from past and present thought leaders. [...]
Empowering lifestyles
Full series replay this weekend only – don’t miss it! Do join us!
Dr. David Perlmutter, MD, is hosting a FREE online event this weekend that you will not want to miss! Alzheimer’s [...]
Finding our compassion
Aiding her dying husband, a geriatrician learns the emotional and physical toll of caregiving
"Reading about caregiving of this kind was one thing. Experiencing it was entirely different." - Dr. Rebecca Elon, an experienced [...]
The Best Medicine
Featured Book: Wonder Drug – 7 Scientifically Proven Ways That Serving Others is the Best Medicine for Yourself
A pair of doctors teamed up as authors in writing this book. Stephen Trzeciak, MD, and Anthony Mazzarelli, MD [...]
Our one and only planet
100% ratings on Rotten Tomatoes – Don’t miss this critically-acclaimed film!
If you love watching movies that transform the way you see the world, you won't want to miss this film. [...]
Stand for social justice
Emergency physician writes about our urgent need to improve overall healthcare access
My sister Alice brought Dr. Fisher’s book to my attention. My personal encounter with the vast inequities found in healthcare [...]
Living fully serving others
Meet Maurice Yordy – our beloved 92-year old Uncle Max – living fully serving others
The interview which follows was conducted and written by Mike Yoder, the current chair of the board of the Illinois [...]
Dementia justice matters
Reparations for Harms Experienced in Residential Aged Care
Kudos to Kate Swaffer and her co-author, Dr. Linda Steele, for this article recently published in Health and Human Rights [...]
Changing the culture of care
Kate Swaffer speaks about “Sexual Assault in Residential Aged Care”
Kate Swaffer is a well-known activist, independent researcher, and leader in the international community who was diagnosed with a form [...]
A New Lens: Soul Care
You are invited to submit a Selfie – Join our Selfie Project page
The SELFIE PROJECT page has undergone a recent renovation. Always "under construction," we are in the process of upgrading and [...]
Transforming Thoughts
See me – hear me
Dear friends, We are holding this space for “transforming thoughts” - featuring actionable ideas from past and present thought leaders. [...]
Justice for ALL
How can we be silent? Remembering the children and elders who died
"Prayer of the children" Performed on June 5, 2022 by the First Community Church Choirs & Orchestra, Columbus, OH Conducted [...]
The importance of role models
Implications for our future: Understanding the dominator model and the partnership model
"Domination Systems have superior/inferior relationships and view power as 'power over.' Partnership Systems have egalitarian relationships and view power as [...]
Disrupting the status quo
Rebel Saint: Bill Thomas Revolutionizes Aging
The Wall Street Journal has called Bill Thomas, MD, "One of the 12 most influential Americans to redefine aging." He [...]
Join the food revolution!
Brain fog? Read this…
Memory loss, brain fog, and fuzzy thinking can be scary and frustrating. You lose confidence and just can’t get as [...]
Leadership matters
How Zelenskyy emerged as the antithesis of Putin and proved you don’t need to be a strongman to be a great leader
"It is natural for the West to pin a great many hopes on Zelenskyy, in his resistance to the authoritarianism [...]
Food matters
Leafy greens = 11 years younger? Really?!
Can eating just one cup of greens per day add 11 healthy years to one's life? A 2017 study from [...]
Food for life
The remarkable link between heart health and emotions
The Healthy Heart Masterclass introduces Dr. Mimi Guarneri, a holistic cardiologist, who will present the latest science for protecting your [...]
Transforming Thoughts
From old narratives to new narratives: A spiritual awakening to mindfulness, authenticity, and compassion in our societal response
Dear friends, We are holding this space for “transforming thoughts” - featuring actionable ideas from past and present thought leaders. [...]
Come together!
Does what you eat matter? Here’s what I think…
It was 2012 - the first Food Revolution Summit had been presented to an online audience in April of that [...]
A spiritual deficit in society
Minister for Seniors at Famed Church Confronts Ageism and the Shame It Brings
"I’ve learned how real and pervasive ageism is... It reflects poorly that our imagination is so stunted and limited when [...]
Come to The Summit!
You are invited to hear the latest science from trusted food and nutrition experts – an online event!
Following a long pause due to technical difficulties (a website crash!), ABeautifulVoice.org has been making a gradual return since mid-February. [...]
Dispelling sugar myths
Sugar detox? Cutting carbs? A doctor explains why you should keep fruit on the menu
In the clinical experience of this medical doctor, myths about “sugar” and carbohydrates are common among patients and health professionals. [...]
Not for women only
Activities to engage elder loved ones living with Alzheimer’s
It’s important to spend meaningful time with a family member or friend who has Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. [...]
Food for Life: Plant-Based Eating
It’s not business as usual for vegan businesses
"The commitment of vegan businesses to animal welfare is laudable, but are they being sheep in their labour practices by [...]
Mindful Presence
Close Caregiver Relationship May Slow Alzheimer’s Decline
This study is believed to have been the first to have documented the potential impact of emotional closeness on the [...]
Not for women only
The reality of caring for someone with dementia – stressful but rewarding too
"Of course, no one would deny that dementia care is stressful, but it’s clear that many carers have successfully adapted [...]
Creating Community
A Doctor Speaks Out About Ageism In Medicine
“'I picked you for my physician because I know you’re a wonderful doctor. But I have to admit, I’m pretty [...]
Music as Medicine
How music can help relieve chronic pain
"Despite what we have learned and what we are now beginning to practice, there has been little work on [...]
Food for Life
Indoor Hydroponic Systems – Food for body, mind, spirit
We loved our indoor green space At the ranch, we lived together under an intergenerational roof – a modest duplex [...]
Mindful Presence - body, mind, spirit
Introducing Dr. Anna Cabeca, a women’s health expert, speaking about a diagnosis impacting 3.8 million women in the U.S.
Dr. Anna Cabeca, a women's health expert, is triple board certified in Gynecology and Obstetrics, Integrative Medicine, and in Anti-Aging [...]
A Sense of Place
5th in climate series: Cooler, Cleaner Megacities, One Rooftop Garden at a Time
“'We don’t have the space to plant trees, but we have 500,000 rooftops capable of taking the load of a [...]
Mindful Presence
An online event about the tools you need for better brain health
Author: Mark Hyman, MD, Head of Strategy and Innovation at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine is one of [...]
A Sense of Place
4th in climate series: Heat and older adults
People aged 65 years or older are more prone to heat-related health problems. If you’re an older adult or a [...]
Creating Community
3rd in climate series: The Greta Thunberg Effect
"... people who knew Thunberg’s story – how her lonely stand inspired millions around the world to join her – [...]
Creating Community
2nd in climate series: Why the climate movement must do more to mobilize older people
"As we confront the climate crisis together, we need all the greatness we can muster, from young and old, and [...]
Creating Community
1st in climate series: One in three heat deaths since 1991 linked to climate change – here’s how else warming affects our health
"It’s very difficult to pinpoint the effects of heat on the cause of death. People with heart or lung disease [...]
Creating Community
What are our core values?
"It's time for a new ethic of care to replace the stigma of dementia... Specifically, we need an ethic that [...]
Food for Life
An epic film – a movie Earth needs now!
Our friends at Earth Conscious Life have created an inspiring, award-winning film about the solutions Earth so desperately needs! It [...]
Music and Dance as Medicine
Inspiring! A lovely “Brief But Spectacular” take on dancing into later life – from PBS
"96-year-old Stuart Hodes took his first dance lesson at the Martha Graham school after being discharged from a distinguished [...]
Mindful Presence
How reducing the number of stressful events in our lives could help beat dementia
"But is the onset of something as complex as Alzheimer’s disease likely to come down to a simple numbers game, [...]
Mindful Presence
Hospital gowns leave patients feeling open and vulnerable – their time is up
Following a 2014 study on this topic, I began to see a number of articles about the effect of the [...]
A Sense of Place
Preventing COVID-19 from decimating nursing home residents requires spending money and improving infection control
This article was originally published March 28, 2020. It's republished here for a retrospective look at the challenges in planning [...]
Mindful Presence - body, mind, spirit
Drug prescriptions in older adults with dementia: NIA-funded study finds increased risk of side effects and cognitive decline
At a Glance: An analysis found that almost 14% of older adults with dementia had long-term prescriptions for three or [...]
A Sense of Place
We need an ethical compass for fixing long-term care during the COVID-19 crisis
"Without clear ethical standards for long-term care, this won’t be the last tragedy or crisis... Health care, including long-term care, [...]
Creating Community
Coronavirus public health restrictions shouldn’t mean dying alone
Beautiful Voice editor's note: This article was originally published one year ago - May 28, 2020 - prior to the [...]
Mindful Presence - body, mind, spirit
Could ‘love hormone’ oxytocin help treat Alzheimer’s disease? Here’s what researchers currently know
"The study investigated what role oxytocin had in memory." - Author: Eleftheria Kodosaki, PhD, Cardiff Metropolitan University, United Kingdom [...]
Mindful Presence
Why there is no healing without grief
This article, originally published in 2016 just after the election, reflects the deep sense of loss experienced by many at [...]
Creating Community
Coronavirus shows how ageism is harmful to health of older adults
"The COVID-19 emergency has given us a chance to look again at the way Americans view and treat older people. [...]
Mindful Presence: body-mind-spirit
Looking for a proven way to be stress-free during the pandemic?
Health is the proper relationship between microcosm, which is man, and the macrocosm, which is the universe. Disease is a [...]
Care of body-mind-spirit
Exercise is medicine, and doctors are starting to prescribe it
The need for this change in how we approach health and disease comes from two key realizations. One is that [...]
Mindful Presence
We all hope for a ‘good death.’ But many aged-care residents are denied proper end-of-life care
Professor Davina Porock, PhD, holds a Professorial Research Fellowship in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Edith Cowan University [...]
Food for Life
Your gut microbiome may be linked to dementia, Parkinson’s disease and MS
"Our stomach and brain are connected through the 'gut-brain axis' . . . It might be time to look outside [...]
Creating Community
Cultural narratives, ableism and ageism dehumanize people with dementia
This article focuses on a culture of care which is an issue not just for Canadians. Nor is it an [...]
Creating Community
COVID-19, stigma and the scandalous neglect of people living with dementia
Cultural narratives, ableism and ageism dehumanize people with dementia, and present their lives as disposable. Authors: Alisa Grigorovich, University of [...]
Food for Life
The value of health
More than 10,000 studies, published in peer-reviewed medical journals, make it clear. You can slash your risk of cancer, heart [...]
Music as Medicine
Good Memories Choir at Fourth Church – Just be musical!
Loved this! Found on the website of my church in Chicago - a performance in the Fourth Presbyterian Church’s Buchanan [...]
Creating Community
Coronavirus: we’re in a real-time laboratory of a more sustainable urban future
This article is a fascinating look at how we have responded to the coronavirus with common sense actions which could [...]
Mindful Presence
How to listen to your loved ones with empathy when you yourself are feeling the strain of social distancing
The skill set described in this article could be used by all who care about and support the care partner [...]
Food for Life
One of the best health events of the year starts today – Saturday, 11:00 Eastern
The 2021 Food Revolution Summit starts today - Saturday morning - at 11 am ET (8 am PT) - and [...]
Creating Community
Q+A: Joe Biden’s Earth Day summit – what could it achieve for action on climate change?
"The stakes, as ever, are high. Despite a brief reprieve during the lockdowns in 2020, global carbon emissions are set [...]
A Sense of Place
2021 State of the Air Annual Report: The threat from deadly particle pollution continues to increase
Released in time for the April 22 observance of Earth Day, the American Lung Association's 22nd annual report on air [...]
A Sense of Place
Air pollution may contribute to Alzheimer’s and dementia risk – here’s what we’re learning from brain scans
"Because the silent phase of dementia is thought to start decades before the manifestation of symptoms, findings from our recent [...]
Food for Life
Meet John Robbins who has inspired millions to take charge of their health!
John was given the opportunity to inherit his father’s Baskin-Robbins ice cream empire. He even grew up with an ice [...]
Food for Life
Scientifically grounded insights to help you prevent disease and thrive
In pre-pandemic times, people who got diagnosed with obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s had a lot to deal [...]
Mindfulness: body, mind, spirit
They don’t come as pills, but try these 6 underprescribed lifestyle medicines for a better, longer life
The application of lifestyle medicines is particularly important now because unhealthy lifestyles have caused a pandemic of preventable chronic diseases [...]
Creating Community
Act Up and Speak Out!
During my final years at the ranch, I had greatly admired his leadership in the dementia community. My awareness of [...]
Food for Life
[BREAKING] What doctors know about immune health
There are two questions that have fascinated immunologists in any pandemic. Why do some people get sick while others stay [...]
Food for Life
A study at Chicago’s Rush University: Leafy greens and your brain (amazing)…Just one serving per day!
Can eating one cup of greens per day add 11 healthy years to your life? A 2017 study from Rush [...]
Food for Life
Your Fault You’re Fat? I Don’t Buy It.
"At a time when two-thirds of Australians, Americans, Mexicans, and many other nations are overweight or obese, does this rapid [...]
Creating Community
Women’s health is better when women have more control in their society
"Child care and household duties are easier when women have help and autonomy. Mosuo women in both matrilineal and patrilineal [...]
Food for Life
A healthy microbiome builds a strong immune system that could help defeat COVID-19
"As a Latina scientist investigating interactions between diet, microbiome and immunity, I must stress the importance of better policies to [...]
Mindful Presence
Anxiety and depression: why doctors are prescribing gardening rather than drugs
"And the evidence base for such treatments is growing – with research indicating that social prescribing can help to improve [...]
Food For Life
Great Time To Try Starting a Vegetable Garden – 6th in a Series
Today there is yet another resurgence in backyard and small-plot food growing, canning, bottling and preserving. Growing your own food at home [...]
Creating Community
A Tribute to Two Matriarchs – My Mother and Grandmother
In response to the request for submission of “Tributes to Matriarchs, Healers, and Heroes,” Gaby has submitted this lovely tribute [...]
Mindful Presence
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates the pressures faced by female care partners
Validation, appreciation, and respite - all would go a long way in supporting the 24/7 female care partner. Take a [...]
Mindful Presence
Still – a great time to try knitting your first woolly scarf – 5th in a series
It might still be a great time to try something new! In this series, we get the basics on hobbies [...]
Creating Community
On Women’s Day, Kate Swaffer speaks candidly to a global community: Choose to challenge!
In 2020, Kate Swaffer joined the Influencers included in our magazine. A prolific author and spokesperson for people living with [...]
Mindful Presence
Religion may reduce stress and increase longevity
This survey included questions on church attendance (a surrogate for religiosity) and 10 stress factors that can be measured in a [...]
Music as Medicine
The arts are a shadow health service – here’s why
Just imagine for a moment a world robbed of facilities, resources and activities in the creative arts and humanities: no [...]
Creating Community
You are invited to submit your story for online publication!
We are celebrating International Women’s Day - Monday, March 8 - with a call for submission of personal stories from [...]
Creating Community
Brené Brown’s words inspire our gift list for International Women’s Day – Monday, March 8
100% of earnings from Amazon for the month of March will be donated to the Center for Partnership Studies. [...]
Music as Medicine
Morning Has Broken: How Music Creates a Healing Place
This reflection begins in my current location in the central highlands of Mexico. It includes flashbacks to growing up on [...]
Mindful Presence
Gems of wisdom from Mr. Rogers to inspire a last-minute Valentines gift
100% of Amazon earnings for February are being contributed to the Food Bank of Guanajuato City. Included in the list [...]
Mindful Presence
Why remembering matters for healing
"Conversations about a painful past are not something to be feared but rather remembered and shared. Healing does not come [...]
Creating Community
“To heal we must remember”
"Yolanda Adams’ voice rang out at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Tuesday, as she sang 'Hallelujah' at a national [...]
Music as Medicine
Deep River – my early influence who inspired full circle renditions
As a child drying dishes while Mother washed, I witnessed her singing spirituals while looking into the orchard from the [...]
Creating Community
The fierce urgency of now: It’s easy to say “wait” when you’re not oppressed
"Clergy from 7 historic downtown religious communities in Pensacola, FL regularly meet and have become trusted friends. Here, in the [...]
Creating Community
How can America heal from the Trump era? Lessons from Germany’s transformation into a prosperous democracy after Nazi rule
In my early career years, I was a classroom teacher for children of personnel at European headquarters for the US [...]
Creating Community
How to seek truth in the era of fake news – a prophetic 2017 Ted Talk with Christiane Amanpour
"Known worldwide for her courage and clarity, Christiane Amanpour has spent the past three decades interviewing business, cultural and political [...]
Creating Community
How should schools teach kids about what happened at the US Capitol on January 6? We asked 6 education experts
Miss Ethel - "A Beautiful Voice" - was a classroom teacher. Curator for this e-magazine and daughter of Miss Ethel, [...]
Creating Community
Here’s why some people are willing to challenge bullying, corruption and bad behavior, even at personal risk
"Psychologists like me describe those who are willing to defend their principles in the face of potentially negative social consequences [...]
Creating Community
Populism erupts when people feel disconnected and disrespected
"Although people voted for Donald Trump for many reasons, there is growing evidence that much of his appeal is rooted [...]
Creating Community
5 strategies for cultivating hope this year
"As a research scientist whose work focuses on positive psychology among people facing challenges, I am deeply aware that if [...]
Mindful Presence
Can’t keep your New Year’s resolutions? Try being kind to yourself
"Why is it so hard to stick to resolutions that require us to make effective or lasting changes? I would [...]
Food For Life
Great time to try pickling – 4th in a series
Are you a care partner at home during the pandemic - with no respite and no relief in sight? This [...]
Creating Community
This mask-wearing appeal could work better than shaming
"Emphasizing the act of protecting others may help people who would otherwise be reluctant to practice COVID protection to feel [...]
Mindful Presence
How to use habit science to help you keep your New Year’s resolution
"The key to mastering habits is to understand how difficult it is to simply will them away. But you can [...]
Mindful Presence
A Good Time to Recall This Geriatrician’s 2017 Words About Living With Dementia
In January 2017, Geriatrician Al Power, MD, wrote for ChangingAging.org on the subject, “Living Well with Dementia: What It Means, [...]
Mindful Presence
Living more deeply by nourishing our insights
“We have to nourish our insight into impermanence every day. If we do, we will live more deeply, suffer less, [...]
Mindful Presence
Great time to try: learning to draw – 3rd in a series
Being in isolation might be a great time to try something new. In this series, we get the basics on [...]
Mindful Presence
Psychology offers 5 ways to help keep your new year’s resolutions
"A common mistake is being overly ambitious with our new year resolutions. It’s best to prioritise goals and focus on [...]
Creating Community
New Year’s resolution tips for 2021: Focus on getting to the end of COVID-19
"The future has become less predictable, which also means that setting long-term goals is much more difficult. It’s hard to [...]
Mindful Presence
Great time to try: travel writing from the home – 2nd in a series
Being in isolation might be a great time to try something new. In this series, we get the basics on [...]
Creating Community
How the rich reacted to the bubonic plague has eerie similarities to today’s pandemic
"Humans, Boccaccio seems to be saying, can think of themselves as upstanding and moral – but unawares, they may show [...]
Mindful Presence
Retrospective from this side of the mountain
A wrap-up of some of the highlights of recent weeks follows... Words that resonate: I’m not afraid December 16th, [...]
Music as Medicine
“Music gives a soul to the universe”
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” (Plato) [...]
Music as Medicine
Still Miss Ethel
“A friend hears the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails.” – (author unknown) [...]
Creating Community
Stop pathologizing! Start humanizing!
“People without dementia are not used to enforced isolation, or social and physical distancing, whilst people with dementia experience it from [...]
Mindful Presence - soul care
Celebrating soul care
Not long after being introduced to Gaby, a graphic artist skilled in animation and a graduate of the university here [...]
Food for Life
Words that resonate: I’m not afraid
I don’t worry. I’m not afraid. “I’ve done a lot of thinking about what I want my life to look [...]
Mindful Presence
Why Denmark dominates the World Happiness Report rankings year after year
"Yes, Danes have a stable government, low levels of public corruption, and access to high-quality education and health care. The [...]
Music as Medicine
Giving Voice Chorus performs “Love Never Forgets”
"The first concert of it's kind in the country, 'Love Never Forgets,' with music and lyrics by Louisa Castner and [...]
Creating Community
The stigma of dementia
"People with dementia often deal with stigma and social isolation. What is stigma and how does it affect individuals living [...]
Mindful Presence
Dr. Weil presents 6 simple ways to destress right now
This video was originally posted during the holidays of 2017. During the 2020 pandemic holiday season, you may find these [...]
Mindful Presence
Wrapping up your shopping? Consider these simple gifts for body-mind-spirit
Giving "A Gift Each Day" may be good for the soul When I was five years of age, I was [...]
A Sense of Place
Great time to try: cleaning the house (while fitting in a workout) – 1st in a series
"Being in isolation might be a great time to try something new. In this series, we get the basics on [...]
Food for Life
10,000+ studies agree on this
Ever heard of Baskin Robbins? John Robbins left his family’s ice cream empire to become one of the leaders of [...]
A Sense of Place
Parks and green spaces are important for our mental health – but we need to make sure that everyone can benefit
"Recently, COVID-19 has revealed the inequalities that exist when it comes to access to green spaces. There have been many [...]
Food for Life
Best food to counter the effects of air pollution
Growing up on the farm, I was "selective" about which veggies I would eat. However, as an adult, one of [...]
Mindful Presence - body, mind, spirit
Why giving is good for the soul
"The paradox — that we happen to think is rather poetic — is that givers may only get these benefits [...]
Food for Life
Good Medicine: A Powerful Punch
"Both Western and traditional medicine agree, cranberries are more than just tart and tasty... Toss a crimson cranberry in your [...]
Food for Life
5 ways eating in a pandemic is improving your relationship with food – and why you should stick with them
"People have come home to roost around food in these unprecedented times, discovering new habits and insights about what it [...]
Mindful Presence
More families are discussing end-of-life planning as COVID-19 cases rise – here’s how to start the conversation
"With family together, either in person or by video, the holidays offer an opportunity for deep, personal discussions about the [...]
Mindful Presence
Buddha Board: Paint with water. Live in the moment. The art of letting go.
Buddha board - As the water evaporates, the image fades. Brush included. I recently came across this unique board for [...]
A Sense of Place
Why some doctors are prescribing a day in the park or a walk on the beach for good health
"Humans evolved in an open, natural environment and removing us from this environment could have a negative effect on our [...]
Mindful Presence - body, mind, spirit
How brains do what they do is more complex than what anatomy on its own suggests
"... my team’s bioengineering research focuses on relationships between brain structure and function. The overall goal is to scientifically explain [...]
Mindful Presence
Finding joy in 2020? It’s not such an absurd idea, really
"Joy, on the other hand, has a mysterious capacity to be felt alongside sorrow and even - sometimes, most especially [...]
Mindful Presence
Help me to remember, to bestir my compassion, and to shatter my complacency
"... when I have food, help me to remember the hungry. When I have work, help me to remember the [...]
Mindful Presence
What greater gift than being in it together?
November is National Family Caregivers Month. Some may be preparing to raise a holiday toast to the dementia care partner. [...]
Creating Community
Poor US pandemic response will reverberate in health care politics for years, health scholars warn
"The country’s pandemic response has been politicized, making comprehensive changes to public health more difficult." - Authors, Simon F. Haeder, [...]
Food for Life
Thousands of studies agree on this
Thousands of studies, published in peer-reviewed medical journals, make it clear. You can slash your risk of cognitive decline, Alzheimer's [...]
Creating Community
Dominance or democracy? Authoritarian white masculinity is more than a political debate strategy
Authoritarian white masculinity has made a resurgence because it doesn’t only appeal to men. People of all genders can be [...]
Food for Life
10 best and worst foods for your brain
Here's a useful tool that lists the 10 best (and 10 worst!) foods for your brain's health. Renowned neurologists Ayesha [...]
Creating Community
Dementia deaths rise during the summer of COVID leading to concern
On the best of days, caregiving for a family member with dementia is difficult. Watching the decline of a loved [...]
Creating Community
Most caregivers of people with dementia are family members, and they need help
Family care of an older adult has emerged as an essential element of the US health care system, with 83 [...]
Food for Life
Be a part of the food revolution — instantly, on-demand, & for free
My friends, John and Ocean Robbins, just hosted a very successful Food Revolution Summit that inspired and empowered hundreds of [...]
Creating Community
Trump receives socialized health care – and what about everyone else?
"Not only has the White House refused to agree on a robust and critical second relief package, but it has [...]
Mindful Presence
Happy Pumpkin Day
It was 2001, the first year we were together for Halloween at the ranch, one of our care partners helped [...]
Mindful Presence
“ElectroConvulsive Therapy” (ECT) for people living with dementia – Where’s our humanity?
“I believe dementia is the greatest shame of modern medicine; not because there have been no significant advances in treatment, [...]
Creating Community
Partnerism campaign for a new era: Beyond being stuck
“In the dominator system, the blade is the metaphor for power: a symbol of power to dominate, exploit and take [...]
Mindful Presence
Important Full Series Replay This Weekend – starting now!
Dr. David Perlmutter, MD, is hosting a FREE online event this weekend which offers cutting edge information and which is [...]
Sense of Place
“Vitamin G” – the color of green provides a natural high!
I had just completed the final tweaking and posted an article about "green space." Then - checking email messages, the [...]
A Sense of Place
Two prescriptions – “green space” or “confinement” … You choose.
Both parents had lived non-stop, very active lives - Mother in teaching and Dad in farm management. In retirement, they [...]
Mindful Presence
Why Study Alzheimer’s?
During the September observance of "Dementia Awareness Month 2020," we again raise the question, "Why Study Alzheimer's?" In this April [...]
Literary Companionship
How our simple gratitude list evolved into a “memory journal project”
Why journal? Many reasons! On both a personal and professional level, journaling is a powerful tool which can be life-changing. [...]
Food for Life
“The Need to Grow” – an award-winning film – available here until September 14!
The facts are grim. But - if we act - it’s not all doom and gloom. If you’re ready for [...]
Mindful Presence
Commemorating “Dementia Awareness Month 2020” – Language guidelines for conveying respect
Being conscious | Words matter The words we choose and the language we use in talking about dementia matter in [...]
Mindful Presence
Don’t count on a pill to save you. Learn why current Alzheimer’s meds do not work.
We live in a pill-popping culture which turns to medicine for a pill to cure every ill. In Episode #2 [...]
Creating Community
Black Aging Matters
"Older Blacks are perishing quietly, out of sight, victims of the pandemic and a lifetime of racism and its attendant [...]
Creating Community
And yet the drugs continue to be marketed around the globe! What alternatives are available?
"Alzheimer’s Prevention Strategies Validated" is a recent article posted by David Perlmutter, MD, Board-Certified Neurologist on his website. He has [...]
Creating Community
Observing “Day #2” – Latin America to Australia via Technology
"I want to repeat, there is no other illness I know of where the medical and health care providers tell [...]
Food for Life
7 Foods Associated with Increased Alzheimer’s Risk
Did you know that many foods common in the standard American diet are actually damaging to the brain? While you [...]
Creating Community
World Alzheimer’s Month – Raising Awareness – Challenging Stigma
World Alzheimer's Month is an international campaign to raise awareness and challenge the stigma that surrounds dementia. September 2020 will [...]
Music as Medicine
“And the people stayed home” performed by Renee Fleming with music by John Corigliano
Public Domain Feature Photo – By Andreas Praefcke: Renée Fleming und Christian Thielemann, nach einem Konzert in der Philharmonie im Gasteig [...]
Mindful Presence
[Ebook] Your Brain During A Pandemic
Your brain is the most valuable tool you have when it comes to navigating a pandemic. Why?... Because it takes [...]
Food for Life
[Ebook] Top 7 Brain Health Foods – Are These in Your Kitchen?
Did you know that many foods common in the standard American diet are actually damaging to the brain? Find out [...]
Music as Medicine
What do an opera company and a hospital have in common?
"As part of her role as Artistic Advisor at Large to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, [...]
Mindful Presence
A personal invitation: “Alzheimer’s – The Science of Prevention”
Currently, about 5.8 million people have Alzheimer's disease in the U.S., and two-thirds of these are women. Though these numbers [...]
Food for Life
Reduce your risk of this diagnosis
Alzheimer's is a diagnosis which currently affects about 5.8 million people in the U.S. While we’ve long been told that [...]
Food for Life
The key to living longer? Dan Buettner discusses “Blue Zones” research
Dan Buettner, author of "The “Blue Zones Solution,” and CBS News chief medical correspondent, Dr. Jon LaPook, join CBSN to [...]
Mindful Presence
EXHAUSTED! Series starts tonight – 8:00 Central
Finally, tonight’s the night. NYT best-selling author and doctor of Oriental Medicine, Dr. Pedram Shojai, teamed up with natural healing [...]
Creating Community
Bereaved Families Are ‘The Secondary Victims of COVID-19’
“Not being there in a loved one’s time of need, not being able to communicate with family members in a [...]
Creating Community
What really causes disease in America?
Time Magazine has called it “America’s #1 Killer,” yet few doctors ever talk about it. Over the past 50 years, [...]
Mindful Presence
Low blood pressure could be a culprit in dementia, studies suggest
Low diastolic pressure can arise as a result of medication use, heart failure or other health complications. But, in most [...]
Food for Life
15 Smoothie Recipes for Natural Energy
Our doctors are too often quick to discredit the methodology of holistic practitioners without really examining their history. Why? At [...]
Food for Life
Poor diets threaten US security – and it’s serious
Diet-related illnesses are a growing burden on the United States economy, worsening health disparities and impacting national security, according to [...]
Mindful Presence
Series begins tomorrow! Start to heal your energy!
If you’ve been using every ounce of energy to drag yourself out of bed in the morning, counting the moments [...]
Mindful Presence
“With Dad” – award-winning film available here for limited time
The film - "With Dad" - was a recent recipient of a first prize award at the prestigous Rhode Island [...]
Mindful Presence
Holding on and holding still, a son photographs his father with Alzheimer’s
With Dad We are sharing the story of a father-son relationship during the years following the father’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. [...]
Creating Community
Kate Swaffer Joins Influencers on ABeautifulVoice.org
Kate Swaffer – The Power to Change the Public Discourse How does one person change the public discourse? [...]
Mindful Presence
How To Unblock Your Exhausted Energy Reserves
If you wake up each morning feeling mentally, physically, and emotionally drained, then this new 9-part documentary series was made [...]
Food for Life
5 reasons to try foodscaping
For many Americans tired of driving to the grocery store for their weekly produce, foodscaping is becoming an increasingly attractive [...]
Music as Medicine
Our “Ode to Joy” in Abundant Doses
Over the years at the ranch, we were constantly learning new material and adding new songs to our repertoire. This [...]
Mindful Presence
Your new normal? It doesn’t have to be! Learn how to take back your energy!
If you ever search online for tips on how to increase your energy, it may have looked something like [...]
Creating Community
Andrew and Susanna
Guest Contributor and author, Carol J. Farran, PhD, RN, MSN, FAAN, has served as Professor, Researcher, and Principal Investigator at [...]
Mindful Presence
An update from Roshi Joan about Upaya Institute and Zen Center
In this update received from Roshi Joan Halifax, she discusses the changes which have been made at Upaya Institute and [...]
Creating Community
2 in 3 older folks in the hospital get risky prescriptions
Two in three hospitalized seniors get prescriptions for drugs that older adults should avoid, increasing the risk of injury and [...]
Mindful Presence
Exhausted! A transformative docuseries – not for care partners only!
What if you could pick up your phone and speed-dial call… A top nutritional scientist… A world-leading physician, or two [...]
Creating Community
Laughter Helps People Living With Dementia
Laughter - the best medicine! For the ranchers living in an intergenerational household, laughter was an essential ingredient requiring frequent [...]
Mindful Presence
Laughter Is Vital
Laughter at the ranch – it was a vital part of our mileau. When family sat around the table before [...]
Music as Medicine
We Are Losing Our Heroes – Memorializing John Lewis
Rev. Wintley Phipps was no stranger to us during ranch years. He was a frequent performer with the Gaithers, a [...]
Creating Community
It’s Time to Tell Congressional Lawmakers – Stop Accepting Money from Big Pharma
Big Pharma and the Constant Gardener - a timeline found in this e-magazine - begins with my 1998 return to [...]
Mindful Presence
How Feeling Heard Helps Restore Our Humanity
Guest Contributor and author, Carol J. Farran, PhD, RN, MSN, FAAN, has served as Professor, Researcher, and Principal Investigator at [...]
Creating Community
Random Testing in Indiana Shows COVID-19 Is 6 Times Deadlier Than Flu
Home of my alma mater, many weekend reunions, and - at a later point in my life - my workplace: [...]
Mindful Presence
Does Hitting the Snooze Button Really Help You Feel Better?
"A number of factors can affect the sleep cycles. For example, if a person is not breathing well during sleep [...]
Mindful Presence
The Self in Dementia is Not Lost
I was offered a “pass.” It was a routine appointment approximately one year following Mother’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s in late [...]
Mindful Presence
Hygiene Matters – Our 2003 SARS Experience
2002-2003 Those were the SARS years, but communications were so different in the early 2000’s! The internet was still quite [...]
Creating Community
Shortfall Of Comfort Care Signals Undue Suffering For Coronavirus Patients
"Some experts worry that a long-standing shortage of palliative care professionals ― who focus on the physical pain and mental [...]
Mindful Presence
Compassion Sets Humans Apart
“Like food sharing, health care was part of life for our ancestors—a major aspect of how they worked together to [...]
Music as Medicine
Ode to Joy – Savor The Moment!
During COVID-19, musicians from Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra recorded themselves playing Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” Savor the beauty of the moment created [...]
Creating Community
How Being Friends With Someone Who Has Dementia Can Be Good for You Both
This article was written three years ago - July 2017. In the current context of the COVID-19 global pandemic, physical [...]
Food for Life
Why We Should Care About Nutrition
A physician asks rhetorically: "Does it really matter what we eat?" His response can be found in this recording of [...]
Music as Medicine
Alzheimer’s and Soul Care
In the mid-80’s, I served as an Adjunct Faculty Member at National Louis University in the Chicago area. It was [...]
Mindful Presence
Getting the Temperature Just Right Helps People With Dementia Stay Cool
"Sometimes people with dementia can become agitated or distressed, which can be disturbing for other people around them. This often [...]
A Sense of Place
How Our News Center Helped to Keep Us Focused on “What’s Next?”
We Have This Moment Used in a music skit at a family reunion, the words from a beautiful Gaither song [...]
Creating Community
Could Different Cultures Teach Us Something About Dementia?
Picture two different families, each dealing with a diagnosis of dementia in one of its members. In one case, the [...]
Mindful Presence
The Source of Answers We Need
A voice for change, Dr. Bill Thomas was featured in the very first regional Alzheimer’s Association publication, Spring 1999 issue, [...]
Creating Community
An Interview With Rev. Michael Beckwith As History Unfolds Before Us
"In this episode, Dhru and Reverend Beckwith discuss how we are in the ending of one world, the beginning of [...]
Creating Community
As His Wife’s Caregiver, A Doctor Discovers What’s Missing At Health Care’s Core
Harvard professor Dr. Arthur Kleinman asks, “How do we strengthen caregiving? How do we do those things that will make [...]
Mindful Presence
Roshi Joan Halifax – Pioneer in End-of-Life Care
Clearly needed and very beneficial especially during this time of suffering - a contemplative practice to become more grounded. Roshi [...]
Mindful Presence
Some well-deserved pampering for Dad’s Day
Preparation is the key - combined with a supportive care partner team! Two special days in June included Dad’s birthday [...]
Mindful Presence
Want to sleep like a baby during the coronavirus crisis? Here are 10 ways to do it
"In my research in sleep medicine and social epidemiology, I analyze sleep disorders in atypical cases, such as people with [...]
Food for Life
Dementia: Eating Plenty of Apples, Berries and Tea Linked to Lower Risk
"Though this study doesn’t explain why flavonoids have this beneficial effect on Alzheimer’s disease, it’s clear that high, long-term dietary [...]
Mindful Presence
Father’s Day Gifts
As Father's Day fast approaches, you may find some ideas in our Gift Gallery collection. The Turkish bathrobes, purchased at [...]
Creating Community
More Than 1 in 5 Americans Are Taking Care Of Their Elderly
"Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life... The nation’s family caregivers provide the lion’s [...]
Mindful Presence
Pause Reflect Act
“It may be an important time in human history to voice your truth. A time to dismantle the illusion that [...]
A Sense of Place
God’s Gardener
I found this poem among Mother’s papers following her death. Typed with her best Smith-Corona - on paper which is [...]
A Sense of Place
The Impulse To Garden In Hard Times Has Deep Roots
Americans have long turned to the soil in moments of upheaval to manage anxieties and imagine alternatives. My research has even [...]
Music as Medicine
The Wild Woman of Harp Performs Mother’s Day Concert
In this concert performed in her living room, she is known as Deborah Henson-Conant. Introduced to her in 2006 via [...]
Mindful Presence
Going gentle
“. . . people should have the death conversation, to talk about their hopes for what they will experience at [...]
Music as Medicine
Musicophilia – The Work of Oliver Sacks, MD, BC-Neurologist
I first encountered the work of Oliver Sacks, MD, BC-Neurologist, in the early 2000’s as the “www” was beginning to [...]
Mindful Presence
How Oliver Sacks Brought Readers Into His Patients’ Inner Worlds
“Like no other writer, he showed readers how a compassionate doctor can treat the most misunderstood and marginalized patients by [...]
A Sense of Place
This Disruptive Moment – Re-thinking Aging and Aging Services
“The senior living field has long been ripe for disruption. While the pandemic is causing incredible stress and suffering, it [...]
Mindful Presence
I Help People to Live Until That Very Last Moment
We bear witness to the heart-breaking stories of adult children about their parents - older adults dying alone during COVID-19. [...]
Music as Medicine
What Can Music and Art Do?
Having a season subscription to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for 35+ years, I looked forward to the return performances of [...]
A Sense of Place
Converting Closets to Cozy Home Offices During COVID-19
From the first to the last Chicago high-rise which I called home, no matter how small, I always found a [...]
Mindful Presence
Could COVID-19 Permanently Change Hand Hygiene?
In the aftermath of past pandemics, people have generally returned to their previous handwashing habits. But the COVID-19 crisis is [...]
A Sense of Place
Could Covid-19 Usher in a New Era of Working From Home?
I set up a second home office in my hometown to become a dementia care partner with my aging parents. [...]
Food for Life
Promoting Health Through Food and Lifestyle Choices
WHAT: 2020 Food Revolution Summit WHEN: Monday, April 27, 10:00 AM Central and 21-hour replay. Time Zone Converter Click here [...]
Food for Life
You’re Invited to Hear Visionary Experts – 10:00 AM and 21-Hour Replay
John and Ocean Robbins are the hosts of the 2020 Food Revolution Summit. Beginning April 25th, they began interviewing 24 [...]
Food for Life
2020 Food Revolution Summit – Important Information Available on 21-Hour Replay
Each day during the Summit, three interviews are broadcasted on the hour at 11 am, 12 pm, and 1 pm [...]
Food for Life
2020 Food Revolution Summit Begins Tomorrow!
There’s nothing more important to your health than the kind of food you eat. Are you sure your food is [...]
Creating Community
The First Earth Day Was a Shot Heard Around the World
I was downstate at the time, just having returned from an overseas teaching assignment. But I was present in mind [...]
Mindful Presence
Bearing Witness in Troubling Times – First of Three Webinars Begins Monday, April 27
Frank Ostaseski and Roshi Joan Halifax, two renowned teachers who for decades have been helping those facing illness, grief, and [...]
Music as Medicine
Too Exquisite for Words
Coronavirus, Cremona: the violinist Lena Yokoyama plays Ennio Moricone on the roof of the hospital. April 17, 2020 Cremona [...]
Food for Life
Your Health Is More Important Than Ever
Since 2011, my final year at the ranch, I have attended many of the presentations offered in the Food Revolution [...]
Mindful Presence
Here Is Why You Might Be Feeling Tired While On Lockdown
"Structure allows us to gain some control over our lives. It helps prevent a buildup of 'empty' time that could [...]
Creating Community
Memoir of the Purple Shawl
In recent years, we had hosted Mother’s siblings for an Easter Sunday meal, but at this point, some of her [...]
Mindful Presence
5 Buddhist Teachings That Can Help You Deal With Coronavirus Anxiety
Buddhist doctrines recognize an interconnection between everything. The pandemic is a moment to see this more clearly. With every action [...]
Mindful Presence
Express Gratitude – Not Because You Will Benefit From It, But Others Might
"... gratitude may be most valuable as a way of honoring and acknowledging someone else. Indeed, researchers have found that [...]
Mindful Presence
Overwhelmed? Approach Coronavirus as a Challenge to be Met, Not a Threat to be Feared
When you size something up as a challenge, it’s easier to rise to the occasion. Instead of withdrawing from the [...]
A Sense of Place
Preventing COVID-19 From Decimating Nursing Home Residents
"Without adequate training of personnel, appropriate equipment and rigorously enforced regulations, coronavirus outbreaks at nursing home facilities could become common." [...]
Creating Community
3 Ways the Coronavirus Pandemic Is Changing Who We Are
The coronavirus pandemic alters who we are, affecting diverse facets of our psyche. . . . We may approve of [...]
Creating Community
The Elders Call For Global Resolve and Solidarity in Fight Against Covid-19
"Everyone can make a difference, and everyone has a responsibility to do their part. Only by asserting the common bonds [...]
Mindful Presence
Why Hand-Washing Really Is As Important As Doctors Say
As our hands touch many surfaces, they can pick up microbes, including viruses. Then by touching contaminated hands to your [...]
Creating Community
How to Maintain Physical and Mental Health During Coronavirus
This outbreak will continue to change our lives. We will not go back to the way things were in two [...]
Creating Community
Coronavirus Reminds Us – Pursuit of Happiness Tied to Collective Good
"This crisis makes it all too clear that pursuing one’s own self-interest is not enough. While every one of us [...]
Mindful Presence
7 Science-Based Strategies to Cope With Coronavirus Anxiety
People who are vulnerable to anxiety and related disorders might find the coronavirus epidemic particularly overwhelming. Consequently, they might experience [...]
Creating Community
Geriatrician Offers 4 Tips to Stay Connected During Coronavirus Outbreak
“Social distancing” is the new phrase that describes most of this, and it goes against what we typically advocate for [...]
Creating Community
Gateway to Health – Important Docu-Series for Caregivers
“Our oral health reflects the health of our entire body. From infectious diseases, chronic low energy, inflammation, even protection from [...]
Music as Medicine
The Amazing Power of Music Therapy
Kathleen Howland, Berklee College of Music When I was a child, on most Fridays, my dad, mom, brother and I [...]
Food for Life
Food Is Medicine – Nutrition for Better Health
"Poor diet is among the greatest health and societal challenges of our time, causing death and disability, soaring health care [...]
Creating Community
CPS Awards Scholars for Work on “The Biology of Love”
"In accord with Riane Eisler’s partnership model, Maturana and Yáñez demonstrate how the evolutionary history of humanity is not centered [...]
A Sense of Place
A Thing of Beauty – All Kinds of Gardening
“I cannot say exactly how nature exerts its calming and organizing effects on our brains, but I have seen in [...]
Food for Life
A Pinch of This Ingredient Aids Digestion
The Mediterranean diet is a sustainable nutritional approach which became a “nutritional lifestyle” for our final years at the ranch. [...]
Food for Life
“Mediterranean Diet 2.0” – Dr. Perlmutter Interviews Dr. Masley
The Mediterranean diet has been around for many years – thousands of years – and popular in the US for [...]
Food for Life
Chocolate Dessert for Valentine’s Day
Disclosure: This recipe contains no added sugar or dairy. It is an easy-to-prepare, last-minute treat for Saint Valentine’s Day – [...]
Creating Community
Profile in Courage – Mitt Romney
“Justice must flow like torrents of water, righteous actions like a stream that never dries up.” Amos 5:24 (NET Bible). [...]
Food for Life
Our Nutrition Lifestyle – Food for Life
This magazine is the story of the most challenging period in my parents’ health history. I am grateful for Influencers [...]
A Sense of Place
Bird-watching and Your Essential Paraphernalia
"Every elder should have a chance to live in a garden." - Bill Thomas, MD, pioneering geriatrician and transformational voice [...]
Creating Community
Person-Centered Care – Ten Ways to Put It Into Practice
"Person-Centered Care for People With Dementia.” This was a forum offered during an annual conference of the American Society on [...]
Creating Community
How Domination and Partnership Shape Our Brains, Lives, and Future
Dr. Riane Eisler’s newest book, coauthored with anthropologist, Douglas P. Fry, PhD, is titled Nurturing Our Humanity: How Domination and [...]
Mindful Presence
Theologically Speaking
John Swinton, PhD, provides a perspective which offers a re-orientation from the conventional storyline of dementia care to person-centered care [...]
Mindful Presence
Lessons in Living From Being With Dying
Roshi Joan Halifax is recognized as master teacher and a pioneer in end-of-life care. She is Founder, Abbot, Head [...]
Mindful Presence
Why Study Dignity?
One of my mantras in the early days of our move to the ranch was, “It’s about dignity.” Those [...]
Mindful Presence
How a Friend’s Discernment Led to Dad’s Hospice Experience
In 2003, we were many miles apart but still in touch – two decades after being colleagues in a Chicago-area [...]
Mindful Presence
Dr. Power Introduces New Model for Dementia Care
Introduced to Maslow’s Theory during my graduate studies, I have frequently had the theory come to mind in numerous [...]
Creating Community
The Myth of Alzheimer’s – How It Resonated
This well-researched 2008 publication covers the concept of Alzheimer’s disease from its intriguing history to the monumental challenge it [...]
Mindful Presence
Hope and Hopelessness – How A Friend’s Academic Research Contributes to Culture Change
We came from similar rural backgrounds in the Midwest, and eventually, we became part of some of the same [...]
Mindful Presence
The Ring Theory – When It’s Not About You
Comfort IN, Dump OUT... How not to say the wrong thing? What is The Ring Theory – and what is [...]
Creating Community
Human Rights Violations of Elders With Dementia Led to Suffering and Death
I was simply stunned. This time, it hit close to home. My deceased father had been in a highly [...]
A Sense of Place
Dr. Bill Thomas and The Power to Transform
A voice for change, Dr. Bill Thomas was featured in the very first regional Alzheimer’s Association publication, Spring 1999 [...]
Creating Community
Amazon #1 Best Seller – Luminous and Scholarly
I learned about The Chalice and The Blade during a 1987 dinner meeting of Women in Management in Chicago's [...]
Food for Life
Dr. Andrew Weil – Integrative Medicine Pioneer
Tip #10 – it got our attention! Dr. Andrew Weil was not a new name in our household when [...]
Mindful Presence
A Physician Challenges the Pill Paradigm
In this landmark book, Dr. Power calls for radical change in our system and the way in which we provide [...]
Music as Medicine
Our Essence – Singing the Journey
If there would be just one thing which transformed our intergenerational living experience, it would have been singing together at [...]
Literary Companionship
The Intergenerational School of Cleveland
Juggling work responsibilities and care giving responsibilities on a busy summer day, I missed an interstate exit while en route [...]