Minding Our Elders

Minding Our Elders Blog

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Loving Yourself: A Caregiver’s Ultimate Challenge

We’ve all heard that we must first learn to love ourselves before we can love others. Yet, many of us have grown up with...

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Caring For Those in Chronic Pain: How Spouses Cope

Traditional marriage vows generally contain the words “through sickness and in health.” For some couples, chronic sickness in the form of a painful disease...

This outdoor scene shows thick bushes in the background. In the foreground, we see an older man who is bald in fromt but has gray hair along the sides. He sits on teh broud with his arms wrapped around his knees as he looks off into the distance. He's wearing a black, gray, and white striped golf-style shirt.

Learning About Normal Aging and Capacity Can Prevent Future Family Division

Dear Carol: I’m 84 years old and as a past caregiver, I appreciate how you balance the legitimate concerns of caregivers with respect and...

The Importance of Grandparents

The importance of grandparents in the lives of children cannot be denied. Before our society became so mobile, it was common for children to...

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Why Some Family Caregivers Refuse Help Even When They Need It

Even when family caregivers have access to help, many still come up with excuses to turn down assistance. Learning to accept support and assistance...

This indoor image shows white painted frames around windows that reveal outside trees. Two women sit at a light colored wood table with an open laptop in front of them. There are various other things on the table that indicate that they could be having snacks as they talk. On the left, a woman with light skin, dark hair, and red-rimmed fashion glasses sits smiling at her colleague. The second woman, on the fright, has dark skin, black hair, and is wearing a pullover sweater with gray and white stripes. She is holding her hands in the air, open palmed, as if explaining something. Both womena are smiling.

How to Be a True Friend to a Family Caregiver

Family caregivers often find that their social circles shrink over time. Casual friends are typically the first to drift away because a caregiver is...

This indoor closeup shows an older man in a cream-colored golf shrit. He's looking down at something interesting with an expressiona as though he's talking to someone. The viewer varely sees some grap hair on the far temple. He has a darker, thing mustache, and olive tonned skin. His downcast eyelids obscure his eyes.

Home is Where Our Heart Is, Especially for Older Adults

For many of us, the word “home” signifies refuge, safety, caring, and warmth –a sanctuary where we belong. It’s a place that we know...

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Strategies for Getting (and Staying) Organized While Caregiving

Caring for a vulnerable elder can be rewarding as well as frustrating. It can increase our self-esteem to know that we are helping someone...

An indoor image of an older man with thinning gray hair. He appears to be thinking hard or asleep, with his head bent downward and his eyelids lowered. He's holding his hand against his chin with his thumb against his cheek as if supporting his head. He appears to be sitting and is wearing barely visible blue and white plaid pajamas under and brown and white robe.

4 Of the Toughest Challenges We Face As Caregivers

Caregiving throws many challenges our way, including establishing care routines for our elders that are not only challenging but may be somewhat embarrassing. By...