🌿 Walking Alongside Aging Parents: A Nurse Coaching Perspective
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By Kathleen Meleedy, BSN, RN, HNB-BC, HWNC-BC
As I settle into my second month as a nurse coach, my work is naturally expanding into consulting—especially with adults navigating care and communication with their aging parents, or individuals over 70 facing the complexities of this season of life.
There’s a lot wrapped up in aging (no joke, I'm thinking about this for myself!)—emotionally, spiritually, and practically. It’s not easy to lose independence or feel like your world is getting smaller. And it’s not easy for adult children to watch that shift either, especially when these conversations have never happened before.
What I’m noticing is this: adult children come to me with a gut feeling that something’s off. Maybe their parent seems less content. Maybe they need more help than they’re willing to admit. But rarely have these families talked openly about what’s actually going on—or what needs to happen next.
That’s where I often step in—not just as a coach, but as a guide. Because while we may want to avoid it, topics like:
📝 Health care proxies
📜 Advance directives
🏡 Wills and trusts
… need to be on the table. They’re not just paperwork—they’re the groundwork for peace, clarity, and dignity.
One book that’s really shaped my thinking around this is Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. It speaks so powerfully about how our healthcare system tends to prioritize quantity of life over quality. But what matters more—especially as we age—is meaning, comfort, and having our wishes truly understood.
That’s why I help families have these essential conversations—with compassion and clarity. My role is to help you or your loved ones explore:
💭 What does a good life look like now?
💬 What are we avoiding, and why?
🤝 How do we honor autonomy while making sure there’s a plan in place?
Whether you’re an adult child wanting to support your parents better, or someone in this stage of life trying to make sense of it all, I can help create a space to explore it—without pressure, shame, or overwhelm.
👉 If this resonates and you’d like support navigating these conversations, book a call with me, I’d love to connect. This is heart work, and you don’t have to do it alone.
