Caregiver stress

When We Become Caregivers, Friends May Disappear

Most people have not personally provided care for a loved one and therefore cannot fully understand everything that goes into being a family caregiver....

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.

Caregivers Can’t Fix Aging, but We Can Listen and Validate Distress

Dear Carol: My mom’s blessed with relatively good health for someone in her early 80s. She has enough money to live nicely, if not...

Image shows a blurred background of an with a speeding ambulance in the foreground. Ambulance shows red and blue graphics on white.

Elder Care Needs Can Change in an Instant

During the years I cared for multiple elders, I grew to dread the ringing of the telephone. It seemed most calls meant emergencies. One...

Older woman in a wheelchair wears a gray sweater. She has short, salt and pepper hair and has a appears happy. A younder woman, presumably her caregiver, is bending down to listen to the older woman. The caregiver has long brown hair, white skin, and has her hand on the wheelchair push handles.

How Involved Should Families Be When Elders Live in a Senior Living Facility?

Over the course of 15 years, five of my elderly loved ones lived, for various spans of time, in a nearby nursing home. I...

A very close shot of an older face. The person has blank looking blue eyes, the skin is white, sun damaged, and wrinkeled.

Repetitive Questions in Dementia Stems from Memory Loss and Confusion

Dear Carol: My mother, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, repeats the same question multiple times an hour. I know that’s typical behavior with...

Interior view of a large common room. A round, dark-wood table and two chairs are visible on the right. A large square coffee table is visible on the live. A large screened TV sits on a wall next to a fireplace. Windows cover one side.

What to Look for When Visiting Someone in a Care Facility

So, you and your loved one have taken the plunge. You’ve put in the time and effort to research senior housing options, take tours...

Mother and daughter sit on a park bench with trees and walkway i the background. The older woman weathers a tourqouise shirt with short sleeves. She sits with her hands in her lap. The younger woman with long black hair and glasses, wears a light orange sleeveless shirt and jeans. She has on hand placed on older woman's arm and they are both laughing.

Should You Quit Your Job To Care for Your Aging Parent?

As parents age and need more assistance, most adult children do what they can to help. For many, the first step is a weekly...

Older couple of Asian descent standing outside. Home featuring trees and flower pots. A short, gray haired woman in a light green dress smiles as her taller husband stands beside her, arm around her shoulders. He holds a a small bouquet of red and yellow freshly picked flowers in his other hand.

Surviving Providing Care for Multiple Older Adults at the Same Time

Each of our aging parents is unique. Some people age so well that they need little help until they are well into their eighties,...

Man and woman sit on a couch with expressions and gestures of those who are arguing. The woman has long brown hair and a light sweater. She's turned toward the man, with hands out in front as if explaining something. The many has arms crossed with one hand gesturing. He has dark brown hair and a beard and mustasch.

Hands-On Vs. Distance Caregivers Can Offer Different Perspectives

Dear Carol: I’m a husband and father living about 200 miles from my aging dad. Since my sister lives in his community, she checks...

An older woman with long gray hair is lying back with her eyes closed. She wears a loosely knit beight pullover. A younger woman with brown hair has her had against the older woman's shoulder in an embrace

A New Generation of Caregivers: Grandchildren Taking Care of Grandparents

A new generation of young people is stepping up to help their aging and ill family members. Although the Caregiving in the U.S. 2020...