Guilt

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Relief Mixed with Grief Normal After a Suffering Loved One’s Death

Dear Carol: My mom died after five years of living with dementia symptoms along with decades of pain from rheumatoid arthritis. Her...

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Caregiving During the Holidays: Have a Realistic, Positive Approach

There’s an image of holiday perfection that our culture encourages. Starting with Thanksgiving, we are inundated with images of families happily enjoying...

Supporting the Person with Dementia as They Are while Grieving What’s Lost

Dear Carol: My dad was my rock and was always there for his little daughter when I needed support, even more so...

The indoor setting shows two women sitting on a beige couch with white alls in the background. One the left is an older woman with her head turned. She has short gray hair and is wearing a cream colored blouse. By her side is a young woman with long brown hair in a low ponytail. She is wearing medium blue scrubs and has stethoscope hanging around her neck.

Calling On Hospice Care Doesn’t Mean You Gave Up

A billboard in my city carries a simple message: “Most families say, ‘Why did we wait so long to call hospice?’ “...

The image shows a dark wood background like a rought table. Stting against this background is a white oblong rock with rounded corners and little smiling faces drawn on in black. Int the center, someone printed in block letters: GRATITUDE.

Tweak Traditions to Make this Holiday Season Realistic and Rewarding

Dear Carol: I’ve spent decades caring for all the older adults connected to our families. Now, only my father-in-law and my mom...

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Caregiver Guilt: How to Stop Feeling Guilty About Aging Parents

Get used to it – the guilt, I mean. The incessant phone call thing was just one of the many games I...

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Loving Yourself: A Caregiver’s Ultimate Challenge

We’ve all heard that we must first learn to love ourselves before we can love others. Yet, many of us have grown...

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Mixed Emotions: Grief and Relief When the Loved One You Cared for Dies

When my mother died in a local nursing home, my “career” of visiting this exceptional facility nearly every day for almost 15...

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Hindsight Can Be a Blessing or a Curse for Caregivers

They say hindsight is 20/20. But things from the past that may seem “clear” to you now can still be distorted by...

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Coping 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...