Falling into the swing of things

September 24, 2025

Hi!

I’m Erna, the author of Care Fully.

My caregiver journey started over 20 years ago, when I was 21 years old. As a newly minted college graduate, my life was just beginning. I had no idea how to deal with the ups, downs, and in-betweens of caregiving for my Mother.

Care Fully is a play on words. The questions I am asked and the questions I still have drive each issue of this newsletter. We “care fully” by balancing our needs as a caregivers with those we provide care for. My goal is to offer up experiences and information to support your caregiving needs.

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Today’s edition addresses:

  • Fall prevention.

  • Links of note.

  • Happier life thoughts.

CAREGIVING

Fall prevention week is upon us.

Hello Friends. It’s the week of September 22 - 26, otherwise known as Fall Prevention Week. Think of this week as a bone health check-in for your loved one and yourself.

Use the chart below to help keep older adults (and yourself) mindful of fall prevention.

My Take:

As someone who is naturally klutzy, you would have thought I’d be a subject matter expert on falling. Alas, I am not.

Fall Prevention Week serves as my balance check-in. Thankfully, I’ve been keeping up with my yoga and strength training. So far so good. I also use this time to check on others. I ask the older adults in my life if they’ve had any trips or falls. If they have, I encourage them to speak with their doctor and even ask for physical therapy.

Remember, if something feels off, be it our balance, vision, or another ailment, it is helpful to bring it up as soon as possible with a health professional. Use this quiz and this short document to learn more about bone health and prepare of discussions with your physician.

LINKS OF NOTE

News for you.

Today’s edition is sponsored by 1440 news. Please take a quick read and click on the link to learn a bit more.

Seeking impartial news? Meet 1440.

Every day, 3.5 million readers turn to 1440 for their factual news. We sift through 100+ sources to bring you a complete summary of politics, global events, business, and culture, all in a brief 5-minute email. Enjoy an impartial news experience.

LIFESTYLE

Ideas for a happier life.

Happiness is in the eye of the beholder. I can’t help myself and will seek out articles about the subject.

Recently, I saw something from Gretchen Rubin, a researcher and best selling author. She shares 12 “little” rules for a happier life here.

My Take:

When the seasons change, my happiness meter also resets itself. For example, I love the coziness of the fall, yet I know I’ll miss warm summer nights. This also means daylight savings time is around the corner. Don’t get me started.

Gretchen’s last rule from her article, “the bird, the bee, and the bat all fly, but they use different wings” resonates with me. Happiness isn’t linear. It represents multiple puzzle pieces that rearrange themselves based on our priorities.

When it comes to happiness, we can define what it means for ourselves. Consider this your reminder to do so. :-)

TILL NEXT TIME

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Take care,

Erna

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