Burnout

The image shows the cover of the AARP Caregiver Answer Book with the title in bold over a blue sky. There is a stylized hill with a highway rolling over it. We see the dotted lines of the highway and stylized trees in various green, yellow and fall-like orange tones on the backside of the road. on the green grass toward the bottom of the graphic we see the author's names: Barry J. Jacobs, PsyD and below that Julia L. Mayber, PsyD

The ‘AARP Caregiver Answer Book’ Will Become a Classic

I was honored when asked to provide my thoughts about the then-forthcoming The AARP Caregiver Answer Book by Barry J. Jacobs, PsyD and...

This black and white images shows a very closeup look at an old woman's face. She is very wrinkled. Her hair is pulled back with a little curled bang. She wears no glasses, but we see her piercing gaze and displeased expression.

Setting Boundaries with Difficult Elderly Parents

When the family member we are trying to care for is critical, impossible to please or emotionally abusive, long-standing family dynamics are...

Caregiver Stress Is a Given; How to Manage It Is Key

Most of us lead frantic lives. That’s the nature of the world today. When you add to that the job—for it is...

We see a cloudy, rather stormy background. In the foreground, a woman with a gray bob is seen from the back. She sits with her head bowned so we see a bit of her neck and an ear where the hair falls away. She wears a slate gray top.

Why People Are Ashamed When They Secretly Wish Their Suffering Loved One Could Die

Every so often, someone on the AgingCare Caregiver Forum will admit that they secretly wish the person they’re caring for would pass...

This summery image shows a group of summer trees in the background. In the foreground, we see a late-middle aged could seated together with the man's arm around the womans waist. Both a smiling broadly as if in a group of people who've made them laugh. The woman has curly, modern white hair and is wearing a denium button-down shirt, open at the color. The man has a receding hairline, gray hair, and is wearing a white golf shirt.

More Severe than Burnout, Compassion Fatigue is a Danger for Long-term Caregivers

Dear Carol: My parents and in-laws all lived to be very old, with years of physical and cognitive decline. I willingly cared...

How Caregiving Can Help Us Rethink the Meaning of Motherhood

To me, the definition of a mother is someone who nurtures. Yes, carrying a child in your womb for months and then...

This outdoor image shows a rising sun just over the horizon of a body of water. A person with long hair is seen from the back, completely shadowed due to light contrast. They are sitting cross kneed with elbows on thighs, as if comntemplating.

A Self-Help Approach to Coping with Caregiver Stress

Caregiving can bring forth an ever-changing kaleidoscope of emotions. These feelings are often bittersweet, but without the proper preparations and assistance, things...

image shows a white desk or table as a base. ON top is a blood pressure cuff with the tube unwound and serpentine. The blood pressure reader is laying next to it along with a standard blue weekly pill container.

5 Tips for Keeping Your Brain Healthy While Caregiving

Many of us cope with the stress of caring for someone who has dementia. We agonize over the increasing losses that our...

This image shows a close up of two hairy animals stubbornly nose to nose.

Why Some Family Caregivers Refuse Help Even When They Need It

Even when family caregivers have access to help, many still come up with excuses to turn down assistance. Learning to accept support...

A smiling couple is shown in a blurred indoor setting. The couple in the foreground appears happy. Both are smiling as the taller man with dark skin and a receding hairline stands with arms folded in front. He smiles down at his partner. She has dark hair steaming back on her head that's shoulder length. She also smiles as she looks down at an object in her hands. It looks as if she's peeling a vergetable. The woman also has dark skin and is weraing a light purple, v-neced sweater.

Best Ways to Support a Caregiving Spouse

When people get married, they quickly learn that they’ve made a commitment to more than one person. Essentially, you marry your spouse’s...