Author: Nancy Poland

COVID Shutdown Loss and Lingering Grief

Nancy Poland

Reading Time: 4 minutesThe phone rang. It was mid-March 2020; my niece on my husband’s side was calling. “You have to come down to Kansas right away, Mom’s in hospice.” The COVID shutdown was upon us. We live in Minnesota, and no travel was recommended. To complicate the situation, my husband was in the hospital with a non-COVID illness. I was able to say goodbye to my sister-in-law over the phone, but he couldn’t connect with his sister. On March 20, 2020, my sister-in-law passed away—no funeral, no memorial, nothing. Buried next to…

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Finding Hope with Rachael Wonderlin of Dementia By Day

Nancy Poland

Reading Time: 4 minutesOccasionally a person catches your attention, even when you only “meet” them online. This was the case with Rachael Wonderlin, Founder and CEO of Dementia by Day. When I saw her profile on LinkedIn, I was immediately intrigued by her ideas for engaging people with dementia. We connected, and I am pleased today to present an interview with Rachael. Rachael, I see from your website Dementia By Day you are a dementia care senior living consultant and gerontologist. Tell us how you became interested in the dementia care field. I’ve…

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Medicaid Requirements and a Lesson Learned

Nancy Poland

Reading Time: 4 minutesOn October 17, 2024, The Price of Business posted a talk called “Medicaid and the Five-Year Lookback Period – A Must Know.”  I gave this talk to educate people about Medicaid, and to divert families from a disaster like the fictional Tom in the narrative.  It is under eight minutes and worth listening to so your family can avoid a similar crisis. As a follow-up, this article tells a personal story about Medicaid, along with helpful links. Medicaid is not to be confused with “Medicare,” the U.S. government healthcare plan…

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Would You Enroll Your Baby in a Clinical Trial?

Nancy Poland

Reading Time: 4 minutesI was terrified. Seven months pregnant, I was transported by ambulance to a hospital with a level 1 newborn intensive care unit. My husband arrived shortly thereafter. It was clear our child would be born soon. I was on strong labor-inhibiting drugs, which have serious side effects. The plan was to give me the drugs for 24 hours while steroids gave our baby’s lungs a chance. I was semi-coherent and even mildly hallucinating. I do recall an official looking person coming into the room with a clipboard. Did we want…

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