Christmas Is Here: Our Best Is Good Enough
The decisions caregivers of older loved ones must make during the Christmas holidays are fraught with opportunities to make mistakes in judgment. Chief among...
Dementia care
Top 3 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 parents. In...
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 how most...
Dementia Bathing: A Guide for Caregivers
Note: Since this article was written, some newer options have appeared on the market. Rinseless bath cloths and other options are available on Amazon...
How Hiring a Handyman Can Help Your Elderly Parents
Years ago, I saw a van whose driver was letting teenagers off in front of the local high school, where I was doing the...
A Common Caregiver Confession: “I Secretly Wish My Ill Loved One Would Die”
Every so often, someone on the AgingCare Caregiver Forum will admit that they secretly wish the person they’re caring for would pass away. Often,...
Gifting a Family Caregiver without Creating Extra Burden
Dear Carol: My friend’s husband has been living with Alzheimer’s disease for several years which, of course, has dramatically changed both of their lives....
Is the Nursing Home Overmedicating Your Elderly Loved One?
In the days before nursing homes became so highly regulated, many facilities used medications to sedate patients. Elders who were cooperative and slept a...
When a Person with Dementia Says, ‘I Just Want to Go Home’
Note: This is an older article that’s still valid, so I’m running it. However, dementia experts keep learning, and the thinking now is that...
Rushing People with Cognitive Decline Simply Increases Anxiety
Dear Carol: Last year, my husband was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Our current challenge is that he still wants to be Mr....
