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Community Corner

CARING CARDS LAUNCHED BY CONNECTICUT RELATIONSHIPS COACH TO 'BRIDGE GENERATIONS THROUGH CONVERSATIONS' - Just in Time for Holiday Gatherings

Caring Cards®, a deck of 54 questions printed on cards to help evoke memorable conversations has been launched by Kathie Nitz, CSA, a professionally-trained life and relationship coach and certified senior adviser in Southbury. “Bridging generations through conversations is truly our mission,” stated Nitz. “The memory-stimulating gentle questions can be asked of a senior by an adult, teen or child as a way to create bonding conversations and meaningful memories. They can also add a lot of fun to mealtimes with family and friends, travel time, holiday gatherings, reunions, even as ice breakers at conferences and corporate team meetings.” 

Through a small pre-launch marketing campaign, her Caring Cards have already proven to help generations find common ground through sharing of oral histories which strengthen relationships and deepen emotional bonds. “People’s lives are their stories,” commented Nitz. “These cards were carefully designed to evoke the full attention of the person asking the questions and the person replying. Sadly, as people age, their presence at family and social gathering can become less visible and engaged. These cards elicit warm and exciting conversations that span all generations.” Nitz created the cards to be compact to fit into a pocket or purse, easy-to-read, and affordable at just under $10. 

Kathie Nitz’s close relationship with her mother was the inspiration for Caring Cards. “As my mother Doreen’s caregiver, I saw that as she aged she became increasingly dependent on me to generate our conversations, especially as her aging and dementia progressed. It was my heartfelt desire to connect with my mom that led me to create these cards. By using these cards, we have spent many wonderful hours together chatting, laughing and learning a lot about each other despite her advanced dementia today.” 

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Caring Cards feature open-ended questions designed specifically to avoid simple ‘yes’ and ‘no’ answers. “These questions,” explained Nitz, “can be presented to a senior throughout each year to encourage even broader memory recall while promoting heartwarming conversations. They can significantly change the way generations interact and create memories for a lifetime.”  

Three of the 54 thought-provoking questions presented in Caring Cards are: “What are some life lessons you would like to share with people?”, “What type of dancing was popular when you were a teenager?”, and “How do you know someone loves you?” Nitz added, “We discovered during our pre-launch campaign that there are seemingly endless rewarding and bonding uses for these thought- and memory-provoking questions. Ideally, these are all questions that can be asked, and answered, by people of all ages.”  

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Through use in skilled nursing and assisted living communities and home health agencies, testimonies for Caring Cards include such heartfelt comments as, “These cards eased the tension of not knowing what to say to our aging mom and created a wonderful evening of love, laughter and richness that will be held close to our hearts for many years to come. This valuable pack of thoughtful questions is a true gift to caregivers and their aging parent.”  

One Australian woman wrote to Nitz, “When my mum moved into a nursing home I was struck by how difficult it felt to come up with things to talk to her about. It felt so limiting to ask her about her day when her world had seemed to shrink. Having such rich questions on hand opened both our worlds again. After mum passed, Caring Cards helped me converse with my siblings, aunt and family in preparing her eulogy. They allowed us to move beyond dates, places, and single events and helped us capture the essence of who she was as a person." 

Kathie Nitz, a certified senior adviser, life and relationship coach, skillfully helps her clients navigate life transitions including eldercare challenges. A respected and sought-after nationwide speaker, Nitz engages audiences with her authentic and engaging style in sharing stories, ideas and tools for motivation, empowerment and transformation. She has garnered a reputation as a thoughtful innovator who has created products and services that promote meaningful connection as well as introspection.  

Caring Cards are available at www.caringcards.com and can be purchased for $9.95 plus shipping and tax where applicable. Links to Caring Cards’ social media presence can also be found on the site. 

Information on Kathie Nitz can be found at www.kathienitz.com, and she can be contacted at Kathie@caringcards.com and 203-578-5244. She is available for personal interviews, speaking engagements and media appearances.

                                          

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