Minding Our Elders

Minding Our Elders Blog

We see an older man wearing a white tee and drk pants sitting in a whieel chair. A pleasant looking young woman has her hands on the chair handles as if steaing him. She learns forard slightly as if speaking to him. Her clothing looks like white scrubs. Behind them are white sheers drawn over large windows.

How to Convince Your Parent Who Needs Help to Move to Assisted Living

Conventional wisdom says that we all want to stay in our own homes for as long as we can. That is likely...

A woman with short brown hair sits in a wheelchair with her head turned toward another woman with long brown hair who appears to be a caregiver. In the lower left corner is a circle that shows a turquoise SenecaSense pod.

Experiencing Incontinence? Restore Comfort and Confidence with SenecaSense Home

No more unnecessary brief checks. Get smart alerts when it’s the right time to replace the brief SenecaSense Home: Discreet Support That...

An indoor image of Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH. She stands against a gray background wearing a dark dress jacket open over a dark top with black beads and dainty earrings. She looks into the camera with a soft smile.

Free Caregiver Training with Support from a Geriatrician and More

Caregivers are often thrown into an unknown world of medication management and handling cognitive challenges. With little or no medical training, this...

Cover of Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. The background is a sepia-toned room. In the foreground is a picture of the author's father, sitting in a contemplative pose with arms crossed. This image is also sepia-toned in browns of different shades. To the right is the book title.

Coping with the Stigma of Dementia

People stare. Most are not unkind; they are just curious. But when someone “different” from the norm becomes part of their environment,...

You Can’t Prevent Parents’ Decline from Age, but Your Support Is Priceless

Dear Carol: Providing care for my parents is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It’s not so much the time and effort involved,...

this indoor image has a blurred background. IN the foreground we see a man with clipped brown hair and a receeding hairline who wears a cream golf-style shirt with some muted stripes. He has brown skin. He wears an unhappy frown and he looks slightly toward the side.

How to Cope If an Older Adult Is Always Complaining and Being Negative

You took your mom to the doctor, and she’s upset with you because the appointment took too long. You helped Dad with...

We see two middle-aged adults sitting at a distance on a couch, clearing aging. The woman on the left had her head turned away. She has shoulder length brown hair and is wearing a white shirt. Her arms are folded in defiance. The male on the right also has his head turned away and sits with arms folded. He has brown hair and is wearing a blue, long-sleeved shirt.

How to Handle Siblings in Denial About a Parent’s Declining Health

Nearly all family caregivers with siblings have experienced some version of sibling denial regarding their aging parents. Whether it stems from a...

8 Ways to Mitigate Caregiver Stress

Many of us belong to the sandwich generation; we are caring for aging parents while raising our own children. Back in my...

This indoor image shows an older man with short white hair and a receding hairline. He wears a crips light blue collared shirt under a gray pullover sleeveless sweater. Sitting next to him is a younger man who has his arm around the older man's neck as he looks him in the face. We only sewe the back of the younger man's head. He has short brown curly hair and is wearhig a light pinkish colored long sleeved shirt.

How often should I Visit Once They Move to Assisted Living?

Dear Carol: How often should I visit Mom in the nursing home when she first moves in? I heard some facilities limit...

This outdoor image shows a woman with very blonde, poofy hair pulled back and we see a fall of hair behind her head. She's leaning her head sideways supporting it with her hand as she looks to the side. She is wearing a sliver pinky ring and pink nail polish, on her fingers and has on a blue plaid cotton type shirt.

The Sacrifices of Caregiving Stay with Us Long After Our Service Ends

One question that is often asked on the AgingCare.com Caregiver Forum is, “How do I deal with the reality of leaving behind...

The image is of a running showerhead viewd from the side before entering. The shower surround is blurred and dark.

Dementia Bathing: A Guide for Caregivers

Getting an aging or ill loved one to bathe can be a notorious battle that many family caregivers experience. When dementia is...

Minding Our Elders’ Mid-Year Caregiver and Elder-Friendly Technology Roundup

Dear Readers: It’s mid-year already, and that means it’s time for my semi-annual column featuring caregiver and elder-friendly products, services, and technology. These...