Minding Our Elders

Minding Our Elders Blog

Am I a Caregiver? Defining the Family Caregiver Role

Many individuals struggle to accept the label of “family caregiver,” but fully embracing this role increases our chances of succeeding in it....

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...

This black and white image has a dark background. In the right foreground, we see an older man with short likely graying hair parted on the side, the front grazing his forehead. We see a wrinkled brow and frustrated expression on his face. He appears to be wearing a pull-over sweatshirt with a drawstring.

Honor Your Elders’ Need for Independence and You’ll Both Win

Although we may not think about it in these terms very often, a person’s dignity and identity are often tied to their...

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.

Why So Many Long-Married Couples Die Close Together

While death rarely brings pleasant feelings, from time to time, we’ll see a story about death go viral on the Internet because...

This black and white image shows the top view of a downturned head. Dark hair is pulled back, arms are upraised to forehead. The person wears a hoodie with the hood slightly raised so we only see the head, hands and hoodie.

How to Engage in Self-Care While Grieving

Many caregivers watch their loved ones endure a long, slow decline that will eventually end in death. As they age, we grieve...

This image is the cover of "Bringing Art to Life" by Daniel Potts. Close up on the left, we see a bright yellow sphere, with orage on top. Further down is more yellow with splotches of color on the left. The sphere could be a hat or a paint pallet. The cover art is slightly abstractt.

Dementia Can Open the Door to Artistic Expression

The treatment of people with dementia has changed dramatically since I first became personally involved with the disease. It’s now widely recognized...

This indoor image shows a blurred background with an older mother-daughter in the foreground. The daughter is one the left. She has a blonde bob, wire rimmed glasses, and wears a green sweater. The mother is on the right. She has steel gray hair drawn back and is wearing a dark, collared top. The younger woman has her arm around the older woman's shoulders and they both wear soft smiiles.

Hospice Education Helps Families Understand How to Support Loved One

Dear Carol: My siblings and I are at odds over how to help our 80-year-old mom during her last weeks of life....

A small cottage-like home with white siding is set back in a yard with trees.

Multi-Generational Households: The Ins and Outs of In-law Suites

When I was a teenager, my parents had a new home specifically built with separate quarters so my grandmother could live with...

We see a red and white gingham table cloth spread out with a read plate of donuts. The visible donuts have sprinkles and frosting, one peanut butter, one chocolate, and one strawberry.

Planning a “Picnic” for a Loved One in a Senior Living Community

While most senior living communities offer an array of programs and events, activities directors often work with limited budgets and are challenged...