Caregiving

This image has a blurred outdoor background with pine trees. In the foreground we see an older man with very white hair and a trim beard and mustache. He wears a dark red jacket or sweater. Hugging in slightly from the side is a younger woman with very long, dark blonde hair and dark-rimmed rectangular glasses. She wears a very dark read garment that we see covering her arm that encircles the man.

Questions to Determine the Impact of Caregiving

Are you prepared to take on the responsibility of caring for a family member? Will you be able to handle the commitment...

The image shows an outside looking in view of a window with a cheer curtain in front. We see a woman's shadowy head with her hand upraised against the window. The feeling is one of grief or frustration.

New Caregivers: Tips on Caring for Aging Parents

I have interacted with countless professional and informal caregivers over the years, and I’ve noticed two prominent patterns that characterized my own...

Father and daughter sit together looking at images or text on their laptops literally held on their laps. The older man wears jeans and a white long sleeved shirt. The younger woman wears a white top and pants with a black pattern.

Parents’ Neighborhood Changing as Old Friends Move Away

Dear Carol: Like most older adults, my parents want to live out their lives in their home. They’re very healthy for people...

Cover of Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. The background is a sepia-toned room. In the foreground is a picture of the author's father, sitting in a contemplative pose with arms crossed. This image is also sepia-toned in browns of different shades. To the right is the book title.

Are People with Advanced Alzheimer’s Aware of Their Surroundings?

Even among medical experts, you will find differing opinions on how much someone with advanced dementia of any type understands. Alzheimer’s disease...

We see the corner of a sliver laptop computer sitting on a dark wood, rustic table. To the right, we view an open paper day schedule with a smart phone lying on top.

Time Management Strategies for Caregivers

Don’t let the title scare you, folks. I’m not presenting a “system” here. Personally, I’ve never seen a chart or graph designed...

This indoor image has a white drapery in the background. In the foreground, a woman is viewed with her head tipped so we only see the top of her salt an dpepper hair that is drawn back, pus the top of her shoulders. Her arms around around an older man who faces the camera. He has short salt and pepper hair combed foreward, and is laughing gaily as she hugs him. He's wearing an olive shirt.

When a Loved One with Alzheimer’s Doesn’t Recognize You

Watching a loved one move through the stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can be one life’s toughest and most heart-breaking challenges. If...

We see a gray-haired woman in a wheelchair from a back view as an attendant in white scrubs lays her hands reassuringly on her shoulders. The woman in the chair wears a dark gray sweater.

You Don’t Stop Being a Caregiver When Your Spouse Enters Memory Care

Dear Carol: My 56-year-old husband recently went into memory care. I visit every morning and often in the evening because, even though...

This outdoor image shows summer trees and sky in the background on a city street. In the foreground we see an older couple riding bikes. On the left is a woman with short gray hair wearing a light blue Henley top. Slghtly behind her on the right is a man with gray hair wearing a pink golf shirt. Both are smiling as they enjoy their outing.

Dating and Caregiving: An Impossible Mix?

Back when you were in high school, you likely found that bringing your new love home to meet your parents was a...

The image shows a closeup of a man with brown hair wearing a beige tee shirt. Heis face wears a bemused expression with raised eyebrows, blue eyes wide open, and mouth showing puzzlement.

Top Excuses from Siblings Who Don’t Help with Caregiving

Unfair as it may seem, even in families with many adult children, one sibling usually becomes the primary caregiver for their aging...

An older woman is sitting in an easy chair but leaning slightly forward and to her right side. She has short steel-gray hair with whispy bangs, grazing her forehead. Her expression is annoyed, as she holds her hands over her ears. has an annoyed expression

How to Convince Your Parent to Move to Assisted Living

Conventional wisdom says that we all want to stay in our own homes for as long as we can. That is likely...