Caregiving

Two younger adults facing each other arguing and pointing fingers. Both the man and woman are likely Asian descent. The man wears a dark gray tee shirt and the woman wear a dark gray elbow length top

Adult Siblings Are Often in Denial About a Parent’s Declining Health

Whether it stems from a subconscious need to ignore the fact that a parent is declining, or they want to pretend that caring for...

The Sacrifices of Caregiving: Yes They Are Real

The plain truth is that assuming the responsibility of caring for another person dramatically alters one’s life. This change can happen abruptly or it...

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How to Overcome Feelings That Prevent You From Visiting Someone in a Care Facility

People cite numerous reasons for why they hate visiting care facilities. Some can’t stand funky smells, others find the sight of disengaged, listless seniors...

Image background is a green house with rows of flowers. Foregound is a middle-aged couple. The gray haired man is tall and wearing a brown sweater. He's embracing a woman with long brown hair drawn back showing gray hair at the temples. She's wearing a brown and white print summer dress with off-the-shoulder ruffle.

Accepting Alzheimer’s Diagnosis Hard, Yet Capacity for Joy Remains

Dear Carol: Six months ago, our lives changed when my husband, age 58, was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease. He has good doctors who...

Older woman with curry gray hair wear a sweater with pink and yellow flowers. She's standing next to a pre-teen grandchild with brown hair, wearing a navy blue shirt.

Should Your Elderly Loved One Move in With You?

Decades ago, it was fairly common to have grandparents living with family and it often worked well. It did for my family. My parents...

The rear gate of a truck lowered to the ground and load with moving boxes sealed with red tape. In the background you see a white two story building with many windows that look like appartments.

Specialized Moving Services Ease Transitions to Senior Living Communities

When an aging parent transitions from their home to assisted living, independent living, a nursing home, or a relative’s home, it can be a...

Image background shows an interior view end table with a plant. Foreground shows a back view of a woman with short salt and pepper hair and a gray sweater being pushed in a wheelchair. Only one arm and hand of the person pushing the chair shows. She's wearing a white blouse or sweater with full sleeves.

How Often Should You Visit After Someone Moves to Memory Care?

Dear Carol: My mom is on a waiting list for memory care and should be able to move in soon. I’m struggling to accept...

Book cover showing the title and subtitle of Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. The background is a room showing little detail but is toned a rich brown. The foreground is an older man in a light shirt, wearing dark rimmed glasses. He has his arms folded across his chest in a relaxed manner.

Father’s Day as a Caregiver: Remembering Dad Before Dementia

This Father’s Day, I’ll have fond memories of my dad, as will many caregivers and adult children. The juxtaposition of the past and present...

The background is a brown wood table. In the foreground and off to the side is a package wrapped in handsome dark brown paper tied up in teal ribbon with a nice bow

Give Your Dad the Best Father’s Day Gift Ever: Your Attention

Our aging loved ones often repeat the same stories over and over again. As our patience wanes, we blame the repetition on memory issues,...

Hospital room with a bed covered by a green light-weight blanket. A gray chair sits in one corner

Should Your Parent Risk an Anesthesia Disaster or Forego Surgery?

Note: This is an older article so the types of anesthesia have (in some cases) changed. That said, it’s clear that undergoing a procedure...