Wishing you a meaningful Memorial Day
On this Memorial Day, we honor those we’ve lost. Memorial Day also symbolizes the beginning of summer, so I’m hoping you have...
Minding Our Elders
With Medical Test and Treatments for Older Adults, Often Less is More
Dear Carol: I’m upset because my dad, age 84, is refusing a colonoscopy even though he’s had some blood in his stools....
A Story from the Sandwich Generation: Caring for Kids and Parents
Watching out for elders has always come naturally for me. I grew up close to my grandparents, and during my teenage years,...
Should You Join Someone With Dementia in Their Reality?
It was not unlike any other day, but on this particular afternoon, Dad was adamant. He was waiting for his medical degree...
The Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease (the 7 Stage Model)
The only certainty when diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease is that a senior’s condition will progressively worsen. The national Alzheimer’s Association has developed...
Is It Normal to Grieve Before Someone Dies?
Nearly everyone involved in caring for an ill or aging loved one is experiencing some degree of grief. However, we don’t usually...
Hospice Care: Help During the End Stages of Life
“No one needs to die in pain.” That is what the social worker told me as I signed the papers that would...
Music Therapy Can Increase Quality of Life for Those in Hospice
For many, music from certain eras can bring back memories of better times. For others, music soothes anxiety or gets them pumped...
Transitioning from Spouse to Caregiver Presents a Confusing Dynamic
Dear Carol: My husband and I have been together for 59 years and married 56. He’s in his sixth year after a...
You Are Not Alone: Caregivers Share Their Experiences
Long-term caregiving can be isolating and lonely, which is why peer support is so vital to a caregiver’s mental, emotional, and physical...
