Minding Our Elders

Minding Our Elders Blog

An bound but open daily calendar with plenty of space for notes.

Classic 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...

Not Treating Hearing Loss Decreases Quality of Life, Increases Dementia Risk

Dear Carol: Why are older adults resistant to wearing hearing aids? My husband has gotten so hard of hearing that I must act...

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.

Comforting Phrases for Caregivers to Tap Into and Live By

Life isn’t easy for most people, and it’s not perfect for anybody. Sometimes, as we trudge through the days providing help for...

This image has a gray indoor backdrop. IN the foreground, a woman with long, light brown hair bends her had forward where she covers her face with her hands. She has light skin and red polished nails.

Life As a Caregiver: How to Make Tough Care Decisions

Many of us feel honored to provide care for our aging parents or ill spouses, but this honor can also present serious...

And older woman with white hair sits in a chair with a younger woman in a medical coat leaning over her, touching her shoulder. They are both smiling.

Family and Professional Caregivers Are More Alike Than Different

Most of us who are family caregivers know that, while we often experience a sense of fulfillment when we provide care for...

The Aftermath of Long-Term Caregiving: Is Stress the New Normal?

Often, long-term caregivers wonder if their lives will ever return to normal. The short answer is no; at least for most of...

This indoor image shows a comfortable livingroom. A woman sits on an area rug, cross-legged in a classic yoga pose. She wears a tourquoise stretch top and black leggings. A mug sits off to the side.

Tips to Help You “Unplug” from Caregiving

Jen has been caring for her parents for almost two years, and she is quickly approaching caregiver burnout. A close friend booked...

Not Everyone Is Cut Out to Be a Caregiver

Each of us is unique, with our own talents and flaws. Often, our so-called faults are merely ways in which we differ...

We view a laptop sitting open on a desk with a blank journal open in front. A pen lays on top and a cup of coffee or tea sits to the side. In the background, we see through a window to blurry greenry.

Medicare Open Enrollment Starts October 15: Plans Change, Premiums Continue Steep Rise

Dear Readers: Medicare annual open enrollment begins Oct 15, 2026, for 2027 coverage. To guard against fraud, ignore the calls. Consider Medicare-related mail...

A green park-like view is in the background. On a path in the foreground, we see an older man with gray hair wearing a yellow short-sleeved shirt and beige shorter pants. His hand is on the seat of a small bike as he runs along side while a young child wearing a bike helmet appears to be taking his first ride.

The Best Ways to Support a Caregiving Spouse

When people get married, they quickly learn that they’ve made a commitment to more than one person. Essentially, you marry your spouse’s...

An extreme closeup of a the lower portion of a feminine face and black clad shoulder is all we see. We can see a portion of the ear and lower eye, half the nose, and half of the mouth that wears rose lipstick. Quiet tears stream down the cheek.

How Caregiving Changes Us In Profound Ways

There’s no getting around it: being a family caregiver is bound to impact how you think and who you are as a...