How to maintain health and independence while aging in place at home
During UMRA’s February 2025 Living Well Workshop, Lifespark Vice President Cathy Lauring, an executive nurse practitioner, provided insights into maintaining health and independence while aging in place at home. Her talk stressed the importance of proactive health management across physical, emotional, cognitive, and financial aspects.
Lauring discussed ways to stay mentally engaged, maintain emotional resilience, and ensure security while aging. She also highlighted the resources available for older adults, including in-home health support, community engagement opportunities, and financial planning tools.
Preventing avoidable hospital visits and staying connected to trusted care providers were key themes in her talk. Throughout the session, Lauring emphasized that a well-rounded support system is essential for long-term wellness.
During the Q&A, she shared practical advice on accessing local services and making informed decisions about the future. Lauring also offered suggestions for how to start the journey of planning and decision making with a spouse, partner, or other family member(s). “It’s not necessarily about the paperwork, it’s about what it is you do or don’t want done,” she said. “Both are equally important.”
Lauring ended with some amusing quotes about aging, including one using a fine wine metaphor: “I’m not aging, I’m increasing in value.”
—AI-generated audio transcription of the Zoom webinar was edited by Diane Young
Healthy at home
Tue, February 18, 2025, at 11am
Cathy Lauring
Vice President
Lifespark
Event to be held via Zoom.
Remaining in our homes as we age matters to most of us. Sustaining quality of life and well-being is key. However, many life challenges that get in the way of quality of life and good health at home have little to do with medical issues. Cathy Lauring, our presenter for UMRA’s February 18 Living Well Workshop, will explore a variety of resources to assist in keeping us healthy at home for as long as possible—including physical, emotional, cognitive, and financial services.
Lauring is an executive nurse practitioner and experienced clinician with a demonstrated history of changing the senior health industry. She brings over three decades of experience to her role, with a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her career spans healthcare systems, long-term and community services, and payor and direct provider services. Since 2018, she has served as vice president of Lifespark. A home health care company serving older adults throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area, Lifespark helps people to address their medical, emotional, and social priorities, and navigate their health care options.
During her career, Lauring has developed strategies to improve health and quality outcomes for senior populations, led and delivered specialized care models, and advanced integrated health services across Minnesota. She built the first internal medicine nurse practitioner-physician collaborative practice serving seniors in the Madison area.
“I believe as we change the aging experience, we can’t overlook the role that trusted relationships with health services play in reaching seniors who desire a new approach to their health,” Lauring says. “There are many life challenges that get in the way of good health that have little to do with medical issues. These social determinants of health have a large impact on health and are often underestimated as to their significance. Building models that support health and meet the person where they are in their journey is imperative.”
Register today for this free Zoom webinar starting at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, February 18.
If you would like to submit a question in advance, email Diane Young at [email protected].
—Diane Young, UMRA president-elect and Program Committee chair