Minding Our Elders

Minding Our Elders Blog

What People Living with Dementia Would Like Their Caregivers to Understand

People living with dementia are the only ones who really understand what it’s like to live with their form of the disease,...

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...

The Difference between Palliative Care and Hospice Explained

Many people have heard of hospice care but they mistakenly think that it’s just a way to help cancer patients be more...

Happy Mother’s Day to all Who Care for Others!

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you who are mothers, grandmothers, mother figures, and those celebrating their own mothers. We recognize the...

A woman with long dark hair holds her arm up over her eyes as if wanting to avoid what's in front of her. She's wearing a tan hoodie.

Family Worries about Memory Care Staffing and Lack of Training

Dear Carol: My dad spent several years in a memory care facility before he died. Overall, the care wasn’t terrible, but we had...

An older man with white hair and a trim beard and mustache sits on a couch next to an older woman. They appear to be sharing a laugh. The woman has gray hair pinned up, and wears glasses and a blue sweater. The man is wearing a brown cardigan.

What Not to Say When Caring for Someone Living with Dementia

Providing care for someone who lives with any type of dementia, whether it’s Alzheimer’s, vascular, Lewy body, or any of the myriad...

A middle-aged man wearing a white golf shirt stands holding a club as he determines his next swing.

Bladder Cancer: Incontinence Can Be a Side Effect

Bladder cancer isn’t a common condition, but the American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 83,730 new cases of bladder cancer...

The Emotional Impact of Losing a Loved One to Dementia

“Carol!” The hospice nurse’s voice was quiet but urgent. I instinctively knew what was happening. She had been shifting Dad’s position so...

Sensitivity Training Programs for Caregivers of People with Dementia: Part 2

Part one of Sensitivity Training for Caregivers tells about the first segment of my training experience at a local nursing home. Reading...

Sensitivity Training Programs for Caregivers of People with Dementia: Part 1

Please wipe this mess off of my face. Please! Don’t go so fast, I can’t swallow! I’m not ready for a drink...

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.

Respecting Diverse Approaches to Caregiving

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to caregiving. Every family caregiver must be free to make choices that work best for their unique...

Neighbor Asks if She Should Alert Woman’s Absent Family about Cognitive Changes

Dear Carol: I’ve lived next door to a woman for over twenty years, and while we aren’t close, we’re friendly and occasionally get...