Minding Our Elders

Minding Our Elders Blog

A couple sits near each other on a couch, heads turned and smiling at each other. They both have dark skin, gray hair and are casually dressed.

Spouse Criticized for How He Cares for Wife with Dementia

Dear Carol: My wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s eight years ago. While it hasn’t been easy keeping her home with me, it’s...

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...

A healthy aging couple embraces in a garden center as they shop.

Examine Your Motives Before Pushing Healthy Parents to Make Changes

Dear Carol: Last Christmas, my siblings and I discussed the need for our parents to downsize. We recognize that they are still...

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.

Hospital Delirium: Cognitive Decline After Hospitalization

In the expected course of treatment, people are hospitalized because they are ill. Then, barring a terminal condition, they are released because...

An older woman smiles as she looks at a younger woman who has a hand on her shoulder.

Caregiver or Care Partner? What Evolving Terminology Means

Decades ago, when I began my caregiving life, I just did what I did. I’m not sure I was referred to as...

This indoor image shows a woman with long, intricately braided gray hair, some braided on top and some loose over her shoulders. She's wearing a gray turtleneck sweater. Her expression shows her explaining something to a person off camera and she holds her hands out, palm open upward.

New to Caregiving: How Do I Keep from Going Under?

Dear Carol: My parents are in their 70s, and had been mostly healthy. I don’t have to worry about financial and health...

Image shows woman, face looking down with eyes squeezed shut due to frustration. Hands are on her head in her brown hair. She's wearing a black tweed sweater that shows on her forearms.

Sibling Greed Focus of USA Today Article Featuring Carol Bradley Bursack

I’ve written often in the past about conflicts between siblings when it comes to spending the aging parents’ money on their care,...

A middle-aged woman with long, light brown hair kneels at an alter. There's a gold cross in the background. She's leaning on her elbows wiping at tears as she struggles.

Hindsight Can Be a Blessing or a Curse for Caregivers

They say hindsight is 20/20. But things from the past that may seem “clear” to you now can still be distorted by...

With an autumn tree in the background, a younger woman stands with her arm slung around the neck of an older woman. The older woman has her head turned toward the younger woman as they smile at each other.

5 Questions to Determine the Potential Impact of Caregiving

Are you prepared to take on the responsibility of caring for a family member? Will you be able to handle the commitment...

An older man looking slightly confused looks up at someone as he lifts a glass of water to his lips. He wears a brown button-up shirt.

How Can I Keep Husband with Dementia Hydrated in This Heat?

Dear Carol: My husband is in mid-stage Alzheimer’s. While there are many challenges, my most urgent question right now is how can...

An older man and woman are shown happily riding bicycles down a quiet city street.

Adult Incontinence Rash Happens: How to Prevent It and/or Treat It

Human skin is not meant to withstand close contact with urine-saturated briefs for extended periods of time. When bowel incontinence is also...

Is There a Link Between Diabetes and Incontinence?

While having diabetes doesn’t mean that you will experience incontinence, the disease does seem to increase your incontinence risk. There are several...