Connie Matthiessen, Caring.com senior editor

Constance (Connie) Matthiessen, senior editor, has worked as a healthcare and environmental journalist at the Center for Investigative Reporting and has written for WebMD, Consumer Health Interactive, the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, BabyCenter.com, San Francisco magazine, Mother Jones, and other publications. Connie's background also includes a B.A. in literature from Evergreen State College and an MFA in writing from Warren Wilson College. She has been interested in eldercare issues since shortly after college, when she spent a year caring for elderly people in a nursing home.

Connie, who lives in San Francisco with her three children, considers herself lucky that her parents are still healthy and active as they approach their 80s. They both continue to pursue their passions, including fishing, horseback riding, travel, and spending time with their children, grandchildren,and great-grandchildren, providing living proof that growing old -- for all its challenges -- can be a time of inspiration, connection, and adventure.

Recently Published on Caring.com

  • Warning Signs of Driving Problems: Quick List — Jan 31, 2013
    One or more of these warning signs indicate that an older adult is having potential driving problems -- and they may signal that, at the very least, you'll need to closely ...
  • Why Giving up the Car Keys Is Such a Loaded Issue — Jan 17, 2013
    How to Help an Older Adult Who Has to Stop Driving Giving up the car keys is a major milestone in a person's life, and it's important not to underestimate how devastating...
  • Giving up Driving: Easing the Transition — Jan 17, 2013
    Helping an older adult give up driving on an emotional level Giving up driving won't be easy for the person in your care, both from a practical standpoint and an emotiona...
  • Elderly Driving — Jan 17, 2013
    Caregivers say that talking to an older adult about giving up the car keys is one of the most difficult -- and important -- tasks they face, according to a 2008 survey by C...
  • Stop Driving — Jan 17, 2013
    If you have concerns about an older adult's ability to drive, addressing them promptly could be a matter of life and death. It may be tempting to procrastinate -- to talk t...
  • When to Stop Driving — Jan 17, 2013
    If your aging parent or other family member is like most people, the decision to stop driving is likely to be a wrenching one. It raises daunting practical problems (How am...
  • Driving Assessment for Seniors — Jan 17, 2013
    It isn't always immediately obvious when an elderly person begins to have trouble driving. Your parent may not notice that her driving skills are deteriorating or may not w...
  • Dangerous Senior Drivers — Jan 17, 2013
    What should you do if you've monitored your parent's or other aging family members' driving and are persuaded that they pose a risk -- but they refuse to stop driving? Many...
  • Keeping Older Drivers on the Road: Limiting Driving — Jan 08, 2013
    Helping an older adult find her driving limits You may worry that the person you're caring for isn't driving as well as she used to. But naturally, she'd prefer not to gi...
  • Family Conflict — Dec 23, 2012
    Common Causes of Family Tensions and Disagreements It shouldn't surprise anyone that sensitive family dynamics can be one of the most challenging aspects of caregiving fo...
  • Family Issues — Sep 22, 2012
    Adult children and their parents often have trouble talking effectively. Small disagreements can be irksome and frustrating; if they simmer and grow, they can poison your l...
  • How to Help Older Adults Cope When They Can No Longer Drive — Feb 12, 2010
     Why giving up driving is so difficult for older adults, and how to support them emotionallyThere's no denying that giving up driving can be a tough step for older adu...
  • Helping an Older Adult Stay on the Road -- and Preparing for the Day He Can't Drive — Feb 09, 2010
    Help keep an older adult safe behind the wheel It's likely the day will come when someone you're close to has to give up the car for good, but in the meantime, you can tak...
  • Keeping Older Drivers on the Road: Driving Refresher Courses — Jan 27, 2010
    When the person in your care is showing signs that driving may be creating a danger to her or to others, the solution may just be a matter of taking a refresher driving cou...
  • When One Older Adult Is Caring for the Other — Jan 27, 2010
    Caring for the caregiver of an older adult If an older adult experiences a health crisis and the person he's living with -- whether it's his spouse or someone else -- is h...
  • 8 Life Issues You're Bound to Face When Caring for an Aging Parent — Nov 09, 2009
    As you start down the sometimes difficult road of caring for your parents, you'll confront a range of challenges from the profound to the practical. You'll find it's a life...
  • Driving Assessments: 8 Key Factors to Watch For — Oct 10, 2009
    It isn't always immediately obvious when an elderly person begins to have trouble driving. Your parent may not notice that her driving skills are deteriorating or may not w...
  • 8 Ways to Prepare Your Young Child for a Grandparent's Death — Sep 04, 2009
    People often conceal the reality of death from young children in an effort to protect them from painful and frightening "adult" matters. In earlier times, grandpa...
  • 8 Ways to Prepare Your Young Child for a Grandparent's Death — Sep 04, 2009
    People often conceal the reality of death from young children in an effort to protect them from painful and frightening "adult" matters. In earlier times, grandpa...
  • How can my brother and I convince my aging parents to move closer to us? — Aug 24, 2009
    You may not be able to persuade your parents to move, if they really don't want to. All you can do is make your best case, and then it's up to them. A few suggestions: you ...
  • Driving Safety: Getting Professional Assessments — Aug 14, 2009
    Expert advice for older driversIf you're not sure whether or not an older driver is safe behind the wheel, there are experts who can help. The driver's physicians What you ...
  • Driving: Get Help for Older Adults by Using Authority Figures and Friends — Aug 13, 2009
    Get backup if you think an older adult is unsafe on the roadIf you've talked to your friend or relative about giving up driving and he refuses to listen, it's time to seek ...
  • Driving Safety: Using State DMVs — Aug 13, 2009
    How the DMV can help make sure an older adult drives safelyFirst do the researchIf you're worried about whether an older adult is driving safely, using your state DMV (Depa...
  • Medical Risk Factors for Older Drivers — Aug 13, 2009
    How health conditions and drugs can affect an older adult's drivingThe following factors should not rule out driving, but they can elevate risk and warrant monitoring:Healt...
  • Four Signs of Unsafe Driving — Aug 13, 2009
    Watch for these signs that an older adult you're close to is becoming a dangerous driver: Find out if his auto insurance rates have increased recently or if he has received...

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