Death and dying

Brown haired woman lying back on bed with hands covering face in emotion and tears.

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 difficult emotions...

Image shows a curtained background with a happy older couple in the foreground. T he man stands with his arm around the woman's shoulders. He has gray hair and a white beard and wears a blue and white plaid shirt. The smiling woman has short white hair and is wearing a scoop-necked blouse or gown in a small blue print on a white background.

Admitting Loved One to Hospice Is Emotional, but Understanding Process Helps

Dear Carol: I’m crushed and uncertain how to move forward. My wife, 74, has spent years battling cancer with some success and a reasonable...

A woman covering her face with her hands as if she's crying. We see her long brown hair and both hands with long fingers and red nail polish covering her face.

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 are heartbreaking....

Background is a bright blue sky with clouds. An older woman with frizzy white hair is viewed from the back as she sits in a wheelchair looking up at the sky

You’re Not a Terrible Person If You’ve Secretly Wished Your Ill Loved One Could Die

Every so often, someone will admit that they secretly wish the person they’re caring for would pass away. Often, this person is sick, suffering,...

Background shows open patio door with grass beyond. Foreground shows younger woman with loing brown hair and whtie sweater sitting at a table with old woman in a green shirt and gray sweater. Their faces imply that they are having a pleasant talk

Why Caregivers Shouldn’t Feel Guilty About Calling Hospice

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

Sad woman with long brown hair sitting on the edge of a bed holding her head

Caregiver Guilt: How to Stop Feeling Guilty About Elderly Parents

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

Family Disagrees about Moving Widowed Mom Weeks After Husband’s Death

Dear Carol: Dad died two weeks ago at 89 years of age. Mom is 87 and has what they think is early-stage Alzheimer’s. She’s...

black and white image of an older, white-haired woman crying into her handkerchief. She's holding out her glasses to wipe her eyes.

Ways to Minimize 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 and death...