Dementia care

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...

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Geriatric Care Managers Can Help Busy Caregivers

Geriatric care management is a rapidly growing field in the elder care industry. As most caregivers know, researching and coordinating all the care options...

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...

Very old woman with silver streaked hair, darker sun-damaged and wrinkled skin. She's wearing a black and white check vest over a blue shirt. Pleading eyes looking up at someone.

When a Person Living with Dementia Says, ‘I Just Want to Go Home’

Update: Some current thinking is that the emotion behind this sad lament is more about finding a level of emotional comfort than thinking back...

Black and white image of older man and woman forehead to forehead both of them smiling

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 me. I...

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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...

A Story from the Sandwich Generation: Caring for Kids and Parents

Watching out for elders has always come naturally for me. I grew up close to my grandparents, and during my teenage years, my paternal...

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...

An adult daughter with brown hair and wearing a red dress is showing dancing with an older gray-haired man, likely her father. The background shows lovely spring trees and a gathering that could be in a park.

Spring and Summer Cleaning: How to Refresh Your Caregiving Routine

For many families, spring or early summer is a time to shake off the winter blues, deep clean their homes and focus on getting...