When Someone with Dementia Says, ‘I Just Want to Go Home’
“I want to go home.” Nearly every dementia caregiver has heard this heartbreaking plea from their loved one. They may already be...
Communication
Coping when Both Parents Have Dementia
“My mom and dad both have dementia. I am all alone taking care of them since. I have no one to help...
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...
Minimizing Grief for a Surviving Spouse with Dementia
Deciding whether to tell someone who is cognitively impaired that their spouse has died is a serious and often recurring struggle. Dementia...
Young Woman Worries About Conversation Topics with Great-Aunt in Assisted Living
Dear Carol: I have a great-aunt who’s mentally sharp, but she’s in assisted living for physical needs. Auntie is 15 years older...
Life As a Caregiver: Making Tough Care Decisions
Many of us feel honored to provide care for our aging parents or ill spouses, but this honor can also present serious...
An Older Adult Skips Bathing? Maybe there’s a Reason
A common complaint about older people, especially those who have health challenges, is that they “smell” or have other signs that they...
How To Communicate with Your Older Parents So They Hear You
“My mom is 81 and lives alone in her condo,” Judy Hanson writes. “Her arthritis is painful, but she gets around with...
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...
Breaking the News That a Loved One is Going on Hospice Care
When the paperwork was finally signed to get hospice care for my dad, I was grateful. There would now be a routine...
