Dementia care

Image shows an older woman with short gray hair and dark-rimmed glasses using an inhaler. She's wearing an orange hoodie.

Losing the Ability to Swallow: How to Help Someone With Dysphagia

Coping with an ill loved one’s difficulty swallowing can be frustrating and frightening for everyone involved. Caring for someone we love means nurturing and...

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Am I a Caregiver? Defining the Family Caregiver Role

Many individuals struggle to accept the label of “family caregiver,” but fully embracing this role increases our chances of succeeding in it. What Is...

Honor Your Older Adult’s Need for Independence

Although we may not think about it in these terms very often, a person’s dignity and identity are often tied to their independence. As...

The image shows and older coupld against a white background. They are gazing at each other lovingly with hands, held up near their faces, touching as the man clasps the woman's hand. The man is bald with a gray mustache and is wearing a white undershirt topped by a dark blue V-neck. The woman is wearing a beige blouse or sweater.

Why So Many Long-Married Couples Die Close Together

While death rarely brings pleasant feelings, from time to time we’ll see a story about death go viral on the Internet because it touches...

Book cover of "Bringing Art to Life" by Daniel C. Potts. Image features a Bright yellow palette with rust accents all on the left. Title is in a rust/orange shade filling in on the right. Background here is white, shading to blue.

Dementia Can Open the Door to Artistic Expression

The treatment of people with dementia has changed dramatically since I first became personally involved with the disease. It’s now widely recognized that while...

Image shows the head of an older man, likely a grandfather. He's got gray hair and is balding some in the front. He's laughing as he beds down to touch the face of a pre-teen boy wearing a muted red cap. It appears that the child has been playing ball and his grandfather is congratulating the smiling child.

Multi-generational Households: The Ins and Outs of In-law Suites

When I was a teenager, my parents had a new home specifically built with separate quarters so my grandmother could live with us and...

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5 Tips for Keeping Your Brain Healthy While Caregiving

Many of us cope with the stress of caring for someone who has dementia. We agonize over the increasing losses that our loved one...

An older, gray-haired man wears an olive green cardigan over a blue and white checked shirt. He wears glasses and is holding an apple. The woman bside him has her head tilted against his. S he is much younger, with brown hair and is wearing a turquoise shirt. She's also holding fruit. Both are smiling.

The Importance of Grandparents

The importance of grandparents in the lives of children cannot be denied. Before our society became so mobile, it was common for children to...

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New to Caregiving: How Do I Keep from Going Under?

Dear Carol: My parents are in their 70s and had been mostly healthy. I don’t have to worry about financial and health legal documents...

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Home is All About Heart, Especially for Older Adults

For many of us, the word “home” signifies refuge, safety, caring and warmth –a sanctuary where we belong. It’s a place that we know...