‘Today we celebrate our Independence Day’
Learning about independence from alien movies By Alexandra Newman Somehow, every year, I end up with the column that runs on the weekend of Independence Day. In 2023, I wrote about my grandparents remaining independent in their home as my grandpa was on hospice care. In 2024, I wrote about a gentleman enrolled in the MI Choice Waiver and Integrated Care […]
Remembrance, beyond the ceremonies
By Christine Vanlandingham You’ll likely notice the flags. They line the streets this time of year – some small, some large – each placed with intention and care. Throughout our communities, parades, gatherings, and moments of remembrance fill the weekend. If you find yourself along one of those routes, or quietly witnessing a ceremony, you […]
From kitchen tables to a community promise
Honoring the goals of older adults and people with disabilities, one conversation at a time By Christine Vanlandingham Every person deserves dignity, independence, and choice—especially as we age or live with a disability. These aren’t luxuries; they’re the foundation of a life well lived. Yet for too many older adults, those principles can feel fragile—eroded […]
Independence every day – July 5, 2025
By Alexandra Newman As you’re reading this column you’re probably looking forward to (or recovering from) an event celebrating Independence Day. When I think about the people who fought for our county’s independence nearly 250 years ago, I can’t help but draw a small comparison with the people around the country who are fighting right […]
AAA can help lift you up – April 26, 2025
By Alexandra Newman I want to start this particular story of aging up in the sky, floating, high above the desert in Africa. That’s where Joan P., 79, was bit. “I was watching the lions looking around to see where this noise was coming from, but they wouldn’t look up. It was so beautiful up […]
A team effort – Jan. 25, 2025
Area Agency on Aging programs help keep Niles woman out of hospital, in her own home By Alexandra Newman If it weren’t for Region IV Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and community partners, Helen, 67, would likely be living in a nursing home. But thanks to a dedicated team of social and community health workers, […]
MI Choice Waiver complimented by vast array of resources – Jan. 11, 2025
By Alexandra Newman If you’ve read the last few Generations Columns in The Herald-Palladium, you might have noticed a theme: our MI Choice Waiver program. Lynn Kellogg wrote about the history of home-based care options; I wrote about some feedback we received from Waiver clients last year; and Sara Duris confronted a frequently asked question […]
Living a balanced life at home – Alexandra Newman – Feb. 10, 2024
One snowy Tuesday morning in early January my partner and I dug out the cars from the driveway and I drove to Benton Harbor to do an interview with a client. I thought I’d just do the interview, write up the story and it would be submitted with some grant reporting and possibly be shared […]