Aging

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...

Image shows a closeup of multi-colored file folders with red in the foreground, going to orange, purple pinks and on to green

Classic Time Management Strategies for Caregivers

Don’t let the title scare you, folks. I’m not presenting a “system” here. Personally, I’ve never seen a chart or graph designed...

An older woman with salt and pepper hair and brown skin sits in what appears to be a balcony chair that's black wrought iron. She's wearhing a white top with pink and green muted flowers and her expression is unhappy as though complaining.

Confabulation in Dementia Can Feel Like Hurtful Lies

When a person develops any form of dementia, it is difficult for family and friends to witness their diminishing capacity and the...

When Someone You Love Lives with Alzheimer’s and Doesn’t Recognize You

Watching a loved one move through the stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can be one of life’s toughest and most heartbreaking challenges....

A vintage black and white photo of an old man in a gold shirt and sweater. He is my neighbor Joe taken from my book Minding Our Elders.

Being an Effective Care Partner May Mean Stepping Back

In healthy partnerships, a relationship is built on our ability to trust that the other person has our best interests in mind....

A woman in a bright gold sweater sits on a couch with her back turned to a man, hand help out to keep him at bay. The man looks at her as if arguing. Both are upset.

Caregiver Asks How to Politely Refuse Unhelpful Visitors

Dear Carol: I’m an only child providing care for my dad, who has PTSD from military service, exacerbated by dementia. Before this,...

This closeup image shows a young woman with light blonde hair. fair skin, and blue eyes. Her hair is cut into a short bob with long front hair over one eye. She's looking to the side so what we see of her face if sad with a slightly reddened nose.

10 Common Causes of Caregiver Guilt

Wouldn’t it be nice to be a family caregiver who never gets frustrated and is an eternal optimist? Maybe there are some...

The background is an indoor wall in muted cream. Foreground is a frustrated woman with an Afro that is parted on the side. She has brown skin and is wearing a light tourquoise ribbed turtleneck sweater with long sleeves. Her elbows are bent and hands are held up in the air in frustration or anger.

How to Cope 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...