On May 20th, I attended “This One Man” – an uplifting event celebrating the 50th Anniversary of John Leon Lewis as a Minister of Music. The Ivey is so fortunate to count John as a member of our team, bringing the power of music and dance to our members.
On Saturday 5/5, at 10:00 AM, John and I said good-bye to our beloved little 14-year old Bichon, Lacey. Lacey had been “on staff” since the very beginning.
Just as Gary’s puzzle pieces connected together to create a vision of beauty, so to do the many resources available to families living with dementia.
Families caring for loved ones living with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia must embrace creativity to both endure the journey and thrive in the face of it.
Love. Family. When the family gathers this time of year, we tend to reminisce about the past. Here at The Ivey, we’re also excited about the future – especially as we begin to celebrate our 10th Anniversary Year!
Last Friday afternoon, we gathered again for what has become a wonderful annual Autumn tradition: the “family social” at The Ivey.
This is my 80th blog post. Hurray!
Last week, I learned of the recent death of one of my dearest mentors. Dana Drago took a chance on me at Bank of America – a gesture that altered the course of my life forever. Dana was 58 at her death in...
When I stop and think about how we are in the midst of celebrating our 10th Anniversary Year as Charlotte’s only Memory Wellness Day Center, sometimes I feel awe-struck. After all, getting here has been...
I have a friend who is a well-respected Life and Leadership Coach, and I will often hear her refer to someone’s “essence.” It’s a beautiful concept. Someone’s “essence” is who they really are as...
Many of us are no doubt thrilled that the two “Carolina” teams are now going to the “Big Dance.” For those of you who choose to tune out this time each year, that’s basketball-speak for The Final Four. Of course, our very own...
We are in that crazy time of year when you never quite know what to expect, weather-wise. Last week, the high temps and gorgeous warm breeze had most of us...
We just had our monthly staff meeting here at The Ivey. And all I can say is: wow, what a team! We typically meet on the first Wednesday evening of every month, soon after...
After my 2-month hiatus as a result of my Dad’s passing (the subject of my most recent blog post), I am excited and inspired to bring back the blogs! Believe it or not, I have been authoring...
Well, hello there. This is my first blog post since the holidays. Last week, l learned of the passing of a dear former member of The Ivey. My heart went out to the family we got to know so well. Upon learning of her passing, I realized...
Merry Christmas everyone! Each and every one of us at The Ivey are sending you blessings for a most joyous holiday. Relish time with your family and friends. Enjoy some good...
Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week? It always seems to sneak up on me, although I confess that I’m getting excited about it. Of course, we’ve all experienced the expected post-meal drowsiness on Thanksgiving. I’ve always been told...
Did you see the size of The Ivey’s walk team for the 2016 Walk to End Alzheimer’s on September 24th? If you have previously “Liked” The Ivey on Facebook, then you might have seen the photo that we posted. It was...
Tomorrow morning, The Ivey staff, families and friends will be participating in the 2016 Walk to End Alzheimer’s, in support of the Alzheimer’s Association of Western Carolina. We’ll also be having our second annual...
This past weekend, John and I invited all of The Ivey’s Board, staff, volunteers, and spouses or significant others to join us at Carmel Country Club for a “post-wedding celebration.” We were limited as to how many...
Last week, we lost screen legend Gene Wilder to Alzheimer’s disease. We send our deepest condolences to his entire family. We also learned that...
The 2016 Summer Olympic officially came to a close this past Sunday night. I’m so proud of the Americans who represented our country with such skill and honor. 121 medals later (46 of them gold!), the United States is yet again basking...
As many of us squeeze in a final vacation before the busy post-summer period arrives, we also find ourselves facing down a wide spectrum of emotions. First, there’s the build-up to the vacation – the anticipation...
It’s that time of year – when the weather can change in no-time-flat. The most dramatic example of this is a good ‘ol fashioned “summer squall.” That’s when, seemingly out of nowhere, the sky turns dark, the wind picks up...
Music is such a huge part of our lives as humans. From the songs that remind of us of our favorite vacations, to the epic break-up songs from relationships past, to songs that...
Earlier this year, some of you may have read a story in the Charlotte Observer about how John Moore and I came together through our own individual experiences losing loved ones to...
Despite the fact that summer doesn’t technically start until June 21, many people consider Memorial Day to be the unofficial start of the season. Many of us will celebrate by gathering with...
It’s been a rainy week in Charlotte, hasn’t it? And the forecast is calling for more rain this weekend! So, let’s check in on this. How are you feeling? Disappointed at the lack of sun? Perturbed...
Whether you knew it or not, we recently celebrated a special week – National Volunteer Week – which was established by Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to...
Are you in The Flow? To which you might reply: Um, what on Earth do you mean, Lynn? Well, think of The Flow as similar to another more widely-used phrase...
Have you felt it in the air? You aren’t imagining it. Spring is coming. A touch of warmth in the breeze. The occasional bud on a tree. More Charlotteans riding around on bikes or driving around with the...
How often have we been told that peer pressure is a bad thing? Yup. It’s a bonafide Golden Rule of childhood. We heard it over and over again from our parents, teachers and other adults. “Don’t do something just because...
Last week, I wrote a blog post about the passing of celebrities, how such losses affect us, and how these people live on through their enduring bodies of work. Soon after, we received a beautiful note from a reader. It moved me so much that...
As The Ivey serves more and more individuals living with dementia, it stands to reason that we also experience more losses throughout the year. We think about...
One of the Oxford Dictionary’s definitions of the word resolution is “A firm decision to do or not to do something.” We make a lot of firm resolutions this time of year, don’t we? But...
For the second year in a row, we were treated this week to the beautiful voices of Charlotte Catholic High School’s Honor Choir, as they visited The Ivey to serenade ...
On November 11th, I joined several staff members and friends of The Ivey at a very special event in Charlotte. It was called “Connecting Charlotte,” a celebration of Charlotte non-profits, hosted by...
Recently, The Ivey’s first-ever “pop up art gallery” was in full force in our front library. For five full days, the room exhibited beautiful pieces of art created by the hands, hearts and minds of our...
A few weeks ago, a group of friends headed westward toward Asheville. They were en route to their annual tradition: a golf tournament in the beautiful mountains of...
Great days in spite of the rain: The Alzheimer’s Walk on September 26, and my niece’s wedding on October 3. Because of the enormity of rain we began experiencing in...
Labor Day has come and gone, and while many people consider that to be the official end of summer – technically speaking, it’s not true. The last day of summer was actually ...
In the forthcoming edition of The Ivey’s bi-monthly newsletter, there is a short piece about the beautiful grounds of our campus, and how our members have the benefit of receiving certain...
Yesterday, we posted a video on The Ivey’s Facebook page showing one of our members, Lacothia, singing and dancing with one of our favorite regular musicians, John Leon Lewis. I watched this video over...
If you are reading this blog, you no doubt realize that I believe the Universe conspires to give us messages that help guide our everyday lives. We only have to pay attention...
Guess what? A really important holiday happened recently, and you totally missed out. For that matter, so did I! Turns out, National Parents Day is celebrated...
I admit it: I don’t like to exercise. I get bored. And so I avoid it. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t understand the benefits of exercise. So increasingly, I find...
This week’s blog takes you to Facebook and the chance to win great tickets to a Charlotte Knights baseball game at the BB&T Ballpark, courtesy of The Ivey! The seats are incredible...
Earlier this week, I made a priceless investment in The Ivey by sending our entire staff (at different times, of course!) to attend the Teepa Snow sessions that were held at CMC in Concord. Have you heard of Teepa Snow? If not...
or many of us, it’s hard to get excited about the little things. Somewhere on the road to adulthood, we lose that impulse. Think about it: a child will successfully navigate pulling on a...
Today is Independence Day – a time for gathering with our fellow citizens to celebrate the gift of living in a free society. For you, maybe that means going to a parade, enjoying some summer fare on the grill, or...
With Father’s Day this coming weekend, I spent some time with my Dad in Wilmington earlier this week. The drive home is always sad for me as I yearn for times gone by, which made me begin thinking...
This past Tuesday evening, we were honored to host Dr. Jonathan McKinsey, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry for Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast, as our special guest speaker at The Ivey’s Community Education Program. We know Dr. McKinsey well because...
This past Sunday, I came into the office. It was just going to be for a few minutes because all I was going to do was move files from one cabinet to another as part of a clean-up project. So here I was...
In the earlier years of The Ivey, Lacey, my 11.5 year old Bichon Frise used to sleep under my desk – awaiting another invitation to go sit in a member’s lap, or to...
Recently, we held a brief ceremony on the grounds of The Ivey to dedicate our new Reflection Garden in memory of our former member, Paul Stevens, who passed away last year. Thanks to the generosity...
As Mother’s Day approaches, most of us are filled with love, remembrance and gratitude. I know I am. As I mention in our forthcoming newly-revamped newsletter, I have...
I’ve recently returned from vacation, during which I helped a friend move into a new house and get settled. We all go through so many transitions in our lives. Some big, some small. Some...
Say ‘hello’ to one of the shortest blog posts I’ve ever written! You see, I’m in the middle of my self-created “Spring Break Week,” and I’ve been doing my best to cut the cord from technology so...
Did you make it through April Fool’s Day without being fooled? Ha! I hope not! I say this not because I want you to be pranked in front of your friends, family, or co-workers, but simply because I want you to...
What a gorgeous week in our city of Charlotte! We’re officially into spring now, and if puffy white clouds seem to be hovering ever-so-closely to the ground these...
Once a week, our friend John comes to The Ivey to sing songs to our members and dance with them. It is always one of the week’s true highlights for our members, not to mention...
Occasionally, a staff member at The Ivey will bring in one of their children to visit with our members. And each and every time, our members light up with new joy. As I watch both the children and...
As you’ve probably heard by now, Julianne Moore won the Oscar for Best Actress last Sunday night, for her breathtaking turn as a woman facing down Younger Onset Alzheimer’s disease. It is an...
onight is Oscar Night, and the smart money is on Julianne Moore to win the Best Actress statuette for her riveting role as a woman facing down Younger Onset Alzheimer’s disease...
During this time of year, many people get very excited about college basketball. I do and always have. I grew up with parents who loved to watch their teams on TV or in person in those frenzied...
Recently, I had the distinct pleasure of honoring a dear friend of The Ivey in a special way. The Ivey’s official volunteer program has been newly named The Barretta Circle – its name inspired by Tony Barretta, The Ivey’s...
As I was reading the recent book review of former TV reporter and producer Meryl Comer’s book, “Slow Dancing With a Stranger: Lost and Found in the Age of Alzheimer’s,” I was struck...
I’ve made a lot of New Year’s Resolutions over the years. The usual suspects have been: exercise more; stick to a reasonable budget; work less/play more. Sometimes I’ve succeeded, sometimes I’ve gotten halfway...
t’s Christmas week, a time when many of us become nostalgic for earlier days. We recall fond memories from when we were children – or perhaps from...
Call me a perfectionist. I confess: if I eat ice cream at home, I eat it directly out of the pint. And it’s the darndest thing, but as I eat it, the outside edges of the ice cream tend...
What better way to reach the heart, and to connect with memories, than through the tradition of giving flowers? And this sweet guy named Joe – Trader Joe...
It’s that time of year – a time to celebrate generosity and to give. We just kicked off our annual year-end fund drive with batches of letters to the good people of...
I hope your Thanksgiving Day was full of warmth and deliciousness, and that your weekend is full with new memories and leftovers. Last week, I shared with you...
Sometimes, something happens that changes the course of our day…or for that matter, our week/month/year/life. Take today, for example. I was preparing my weekly blog...
As I was heading down Sharon Amity last week, I found myself driving through a ticker-tape parade of yellow, red, orange and purple, as the gorgeous trees lining that...
I was reading a piece in The New York Times about the complexities of diagnosing dementia, and it had me reflecting back. Prior to my Mom’s official Alzheimer’s diagnosis...
I like to think of The Ivey as one big, happy family. That might sound cliché, but it’s true. Our Members, their families, our staff, and even Charlotte’s growing network...
A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine brought some intriguing information to light. The study is entitled “Patients with Advanced Dementia Continue...
Of the many joys in my life, getting to know the families at The Ivey is way up there at the top. And I know my entire staff feels the same way. Recently our Marketing Director, Vikki Hunley, was enjoying...
At the bottom of last week’s blog post, I shared a link to a recent Reuters story about another eye-opening study on the stress of caring for a family member with dementia and...
Recently, the Charlotte Observer picked up a New York Times piece by Jane Brody entitled “Dementia makes picking a nursing home harder.” It was a good read. But...
