Minding Our Elders

A woman covering her face with her hands as if she's crying. We see her long brown hair and both hands with long fingers and red nail polish covering her face.

Coping with Alzheimer’s Caregiver Burnout

You watch your once mentally sharp loved one decline before your eyes. Their uncontrollable behaviors, mood swings, outbursts, confusion, and memory loss are heartbreaking....

Close up of an angry woman with dark brown curly hair, wearing a chunky blue sweater. Shes got both hands on her forehead with her mouth wide open in frustration as if she's been crying

Siblings Who Don’t Help with Caregiving Have Several Excuses

Unfair as it may seem, even in families with many adult children, one sibling usually becomes the primary caregiver for their aging parents. In...

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The Process of Convincing Your Parent to Move to Indepent Living

Aging In Place vs. Assisted Living: Professional in-home care and a medical alert system are sufficient for some seniors to remain at home safely...

A picnic table set with cupcakes and a layer cake all decorated in red, white, and blue. Some toys flags are on the table along with a glass of red juice.

Happy Independence Day!

Wishing everyone a safe and fun Fourth of July! Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. Darlene Fuchs, Author of Get in the...

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Far Too Many People Still Attach a Stigma to Illnesses That Cause Dementia

Anyone who has cared for a disabled child or has a visible disability of their own knows this. However, people who care for an...

The background is the exterior of an older brick building. Foreground is an old woman in a flowered hat and contrasting flowered shirt and beige pants slouching in a wheelchair. Her expression is unhappy

Some People Aren’t Happy Unless They Complain. How to Cope with an Older Adult’s Negativity

Some Seniors Are Prone to Chronic Complaining: If an aging loved one has always been abrasive, complaining may be the only way they know...

Two younger adults facing each other arguing and pointing fingers. Both the man and woman are likely Asian descent. The man wears a dark gray tee shirt and the woman wear a dark gray elbow length top

Adult Siblings Are Often in Denial About a Parent’s Declining Health

Whether it stems from a subconscious need to ignore the fact that a parent is declining, or they want to pretend that caring for...

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Potential Causes of Skin Picking with Dementia and How to Help

Dear Carol: My mom is in mid-stage Alzheimer’s, so she has fidgety hands. Even though I lotion her skin regularly, she’ll zero in on...

The Sacrifices of Caregiving: Yes They Are Real

The plain truth is that assuming the responsibility of caring for another person dramatically alters one’s life. This change can happen abruptly or it...