Minding Our Elders

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...

This indoor image shows a blurred background with an older mother-daughter in the foreground. The daughter is one the left. She has a blonde bob, wire rimmed glasses, and wears a green sweater. The mother is on the right. She has steel gray hair drawn back and is wearing a dark, collared top. The younger woman has her arm around the older woman's shoulders and they both wear soft smiiles.

New Caregivers: Tips on Caring for Elderly Parents

I have interacted with countless professional and informal caregivers over the years, and I’ve noticed two prominent patterns that characterized my own...

The background is a plain white wall. In the foreground, we see a closeup of the lower portin of an older man's face. We see his ears and white mustache. He's weraring a gray/beighe sweater and his is hands resting on top of a cane hanles held in front of him as he sites. One hand is on top of the straight cane handle and his other hand is clasped on top of it.

What to Do When a Someone with Dementia Repeats the Same Things Over and Over

One sign of the aging brain is repeating things more often, especially stories and questions. There are reasons for this that are...

An older Asian parent in a red coat is hugged from behind by his daughter

Dad’s Personality Has Changed Overnight: Medications? A UTI?

Dear Carol: My dad, 86, lives with me. He has an academic’s personality, so we’ve often talked about different issues that spanned...

Image background is a barely visible assisted living common room. Foreground shows two men. On the left is an older man, balding with a little gray hair. He's wearing a cream cardigan over a dark shirt. Next to him is his middle-aged son who has short, light brown hair. He's wearing a gray scarf around his neck over his dark jacket

Dementia Caregiver’s Experience Made Premium Incontinence Protection Easier to Find

As is the case with most people living with advanced dementia Harris Sterling’s father developed incontinence. Along with other difficult issues that...

This indoor image shows a white paneled background. In front, two women sit on a counch. The older woman has gray hair and is searing a light blue, collared shirt. Next to her sits a younger woman with blonde hair who is wearing a blue, short-sleeved top. The younger woman has her arm around the older woman as they look at each other. Both are smiling.

How to Help Mom with Bone Fractures Cope with Embarrassing Incontinence

Dear Carol: Recently, my mother, 76, fell and broke a hip, fractured a wrist, and cracked an ankle. She’s in the hospital...

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.

Could a New Medication Be the Cause of Mom’s Increased Falls?

Dear Carol: My mom’s had a lot of health problems in her life, so her prescription list is long. Yet, sure enough,...

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.

Are People with Advanced Alzheimer’s Aware of Their Surroundings?

Even among medical experts, you will find differing opinions on how much someone with advanced dementia of any type understands. Alzheimer’s disease...