Podcast Wisdom
Turning the Page: Top Books to Guide You Through the Empty Nest Transition
‘The Empty Nest: 31 Parents Tell the Truth About Relationships, Love, and Freedom After the Kids Fly the Coop’ by Karen Stabiner This collection of essays offers a mosaic of perspectives on the empty nest phase, from the melancholy to the liberating. Compiled by Karen Stabiner, the book explores the myriad ways parents cope with this transition. It’s comforting to read about other’s experiences and see how they’ve embraced (or struggled with) the changes, making this book a great starting point for those fresh to the empty nest lifestyle. ‘The Joy of Less: A Minimalist Guide to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify’ by Francine Jay Now that the kids are out of the house, it’s the perfect time to declutter and simplify your home — a task that symbolizes this new chapter in your life. Francine Jay’s “The Joy of Less” isn’t specifically about empty nesting,
but its principles can help you clear out those now-unused spaces and make room for new hobbies and interests you previously set aside. ‘From Mom to Me Again: How I Survived My First Empty-Nest Year and Reinvented the Rest of My Life’ by Melissa T. Shultz Melissa T. Shultz shares her transformative journey from a full-time mother to a fulfilled individual with a life enriched by new pursuits and passions. Her story is inspiring and offers practical advice for making the most out of the empty nest period. It’s mainly geared toward mothers facing the daunting question: “Who am I now that I’m not a full-time mom?” Reading these books can provide comfort, inspiration, and practical tips for navigating life’s emotional and practical aspects after your children have grown up and moved out. It’s your time now — enjoy rediscovering yourself and embracing all the possibilities ahead!
Ah, the empty nest. It’s a bittersweet time when the kids finally fly the coop, and you’re left wondering what to do with all the newfound silence — and space. Whether you’re feeling lost or looking forward to rediscovering your own interests, plenty of books can help you navigate this new phase of life. Here are three top picks every parent of newly adult children should consider adding to their reading list.
Few people are fully prepared for the difficult decisions they may face when a critical illness strikes near the end of life. Choose the Life-Sustaining Treatments You Want Your Wishes Matter Physicians are trained to save lives and will usually deliver whatever life-sustaining treatment is needed to replace or support a patient’s failing organs. Patients, however, have a choice about what treatments are used, and those who make these decisions in advance can avoid having to make high-stakes decisions in a crisis. All 50 states have taken steps to encourage medical care providers and seriously ill patients to discuss and agree upon the patient’s wishes regarding end-of-life interventions. These interventions include mechanical breathing or ventilation, in which a tube is inserted through the patient’s mouth or nose into the airway, to force air into the lungs. Tube feeding replaces or supplements a patient’s eating and drinking by providing nutrients via a tube placed through the nose or directly into the stomach.
heartbeat stops. While CPR often saves healthy patients in drowning accidents and other mishaps, the success rate is far lower for patients near the end of life. Another intervention, dialysis, replaces the kidney’s life-supporting function of filtering excess fluid and waste from the blood. The dialysis process doesn’t cure kidney failure, but it can sustain a person who is otherwise healthy. Chemotherapy, blood transfusions, and major surgery are other examples of aggressive end-of-life care. Like many states, New Jersey has legislation supporting the Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST), a document outlining the patient’s wishes on end-of-life treatment, which also shields the physician from liability. Unlike living wills or advance directives, a POLST is designed for seriously ill patients and is more likely to be honored by emergency responders. If you haven’t thought about the kinds of interventions you might want in the event of critical illness, we encourage you to explore completing a POLST today. Making these decisions can be difficult. But if a time comes when you are unable to make decisions for yourself, completing a POLST is a gift to all those charged with overseeing your care.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation entails using electric shock, chest compression, or medication to revive a patient when their breathing or
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