Caregiver stress

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Caregiving Should Ideally be a Team Effort

You’ve probably heard the old saying, “There’s no I in team,” meaning that every member on a successful team puts selfishness aside and works...

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How to Communicate with Someone Who Can No Longer Speak

Years ago, I stumbled upon a video that remains vivid in my mind. In it, an elderly couple who had spent a lifetime devoted...

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What to Do When a Senior Refuses to Bathe and Change Their Clothes

When it comes to caring for the elderly, hygiene issues are surprisingly common. Determining why their bathing habits have changed is the best way...

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The Hazards of Alcoholism in the Elderly

Millions of people consume alcohol, but each person has their own unique relationship with this substance. While many are able to drink in moderation...

Concerned Caregiver Worried about Mom’s Repeated Falls

Dear Carol: My 82-year-old mother has been in relatively good health but lately she’s experienced several falls. I only know this because I see...

A family dinner table with a happy black family sharing a meal. There is a husband/father with a beard wearing a blue shirt with rolled-up sleeves, a wife/mother with curly black hair wearing a gray top, and two children, a girl and a boy. The girl is in the foreground. They are all having a good time.

Balancing Elder Care with Other Relationships

Becoming a family caregiver is often something that either happens very suddenly or slowly sneaks up on a person. When a loved one has...

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Alzheimer’s: Theft, Paranoia or Forgetfulness?

“She took my sweater!” Victoria says. “I saw her. She stole it! That woman took the sweater my mother made for me!” But did...

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Adult Day Services Can Fill a Gap for Seniors and Their Caregivers

Most seniors are keen on staying in their homes as they age, but family caregivers often struggle to meet their loved ones’ needs and...

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Caring for Aging Parents Who Didn’t Care for You

Years ago, a journalist (we’ll call her Nancy) requested an interview with me to discuss common caregiving issues for an article she was writing....

An older man sitts on the left, looking at a younger woman who is smiling at him as if explaining something. The man has gray hair and is wearing a beige shirt. The woman has long brown hair tied in a low ponytail. She's wearing blue scrubs and has a stethoscope around her neck.

Hospice Care: Help During End Stages of Life

One day while I was working at my newspaper job, the phone rang. It was the head nurse at Dad’s nursing home. “Carol, we...