Helping the Helpers 

A series by the Lawyer Assistance and Attorney Well-Being Programs

Mr. Rogers is often quoted in times of need, with advice to search for the helpers. With so much going on in the world, this series looks to help those who are already helping. Whether in professional roles or through personal relationships, the legal profession is full of helpers. This first round of sessions is dedicated to those caring for aging loved ones. 

Having a plan is one thing, session two is focused on how legal professionals can approach these topics with their loved ones to ease change and transition. 

Session 2 Topic: How to Have the Hard Conversations with Aging Parents 
Money. Driving. Memory loss. Moving. End-of-life wishes. These are the conversations most families avoid — until a crisis forces them. This session offers concrete scripts, timing strategies, and emotional tools for approaching the topics that typically go unsaid. Participants will learn how to open dialogue with empathy, navigate resistance, and keep the relationship intact while getting to real decisions. 

 Session 2 Speaker:
Emma Soy, RN, BSN, MA, is the Founder and CEO of Gentle Shepherd Care, a nurse-led eldercare and home care agency that has served multiple Charlotte-area families since 2019. A TEDx speaker and Director with the National Care Planning Council, Emma is the creator of the Seven Pathways to Wellness framework and the Gentle Care Navigator corporate eldercare program. She is a leading voice for the PANINI Generation™ — the sandwich-generation caregivers balancing careers, children, and aging parents — and speaks nationally on caregiving, workplace well-being, and proactive family care planning. 

Find additional resources from the Lawyer Assistance and Attorney Well-Being Programs: Resource Database 

If you have topic ideas for the Helping the Helpers series, please reach out to the Attorney Well-Being Program manager, Jennifer Clayton at jclayton@nysba.org

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'”

_{― Fred Rogers}