Hi

I’m creating my first blog in hopes of being helpful to a few people. I’m calling it “Aging Ain’t Easy”.

My name is Bonnie Castonguay and I’m the Co-Founder of Ho’okele Health Navigators.  I am a registered nurse and have worked in the specialty areas of intensive care and home health care healthcare administration.

You might wonder how the two specialties are related. As an RN in ICU, I cared for critically ill patients. When I transitioned to home health care, I visited many of the patients I cared for in intensive care. It was eye opening when I learned some of the reasons patients landed in the intensive care. One big reason was that as these people were aging, their families were ill equipped to deal with aspects of care like medication adherence and monitoring changing eating habits.

In the past 17 years, I have had the privilege to work with many seniors and their families with managing their chronic illnesses and overseeing long-term care planning.  What I have learned is that with proper care and planning, aging, although challenging, can be a special and fulfilling journey.

My next post will focus on having “The Talk” with parents.