I recently hosted a meeting of 30 professionals who support seniors in various ways. The focus of our meeting was helping adult children deal with their “difficult” parents. Okay, so maybe the parents aren’t difficult, but the situations can be: a father who won’t give up his car keys even though he’s rolled over the mailbox for the third time, a mom who repeatedly turns down your home cooking even though she’s burned holes in every pot in her kitchen or a couple who refuse to discuss their financial situation with anyone in the family. As members of the group exchanged stories of how they handled difficult situations, words of wisdom flowed. 1. Don’t expect to change your parents immediately. According to author John Comer, “Parents appreciate your thoughts about how they should run their lives about as much as you enjoy their thoughts on how you should run yours. If something is important enough, try practicing the ‘wear them down’ principle. When one of your suggestions is...

One reason I am happy to write this particular column is that I love good food, good wine . . . and seniors. My professional life revolves around boomers and seniors, but I’ve been a foodie since I was a kid. From age 10 until I left for college, I picked recipes and cooked dinner for my family several nights a week. Kudos to my mom and dad for surviving the early years of pear salads shaped like bunny rabbits and hot dogs on a stick. It’s that love of food that gets me excited this time of year because just around the corner is the Ultimate Dining Event, which brings together great food and wine and the support of seniors in our community. Every August my husband, friends and I enjoy signature dishes from the best local chefs. This year the featured chefs serving their specialties will be from The Grill on the Alley, Rustico, The Westlake Inn, Tierra Sur and the Hyatt Westlake Plaza. Then there’s the added variety of delicacies from caterers like May’s Kitchen, desserts from...