Dementia

With an autumn tree in the background, a younger woman stands with her arm slung around the neck of an older woman. The older woman has her head turned toward the younger woman as they smile at each other.

5 Questions to Determine the Potential Impact of Caregiving

Are you prepared to take on the responsibility of caring for a family member? Will you be able to handle the commitment...

Is There a Link Between Diabetes and Incontinence?

While having diabetes doesn’t mean that you will experience incontinence, the disease does seem to increase your incontinence risk. There are several...

The background is a plain white wall. In the foreground, we see a closeup of the lower portin of an older man's face. We see his ears and white mustache. He's weraring a gray/beighe sweater and his is hands resting on top of a cane hanles held in front of him as he sites. One hand is on top of the straight cane handle and his other hand is clasped on top of it.

What to Do When a Someone with Dementia Repeats the Same Things Over and Over

One sign of the aging brain is repeating things more often, especially stories and questions. There are reasons for this that are...

Cover of Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. The background is a sepia-toned room. In the foreground is a picture of the author's father, sitting in a contemplative pose with arms crossed. This image is also sepia-toned in browns of different shades. To the right is the book title.

Are People with Advanced Alzheimer’s Aware of Their Surroundings?

Even among medical experts, you will find differing opinions on how much someone with advanced dementia of any type understands. Alzheimer’s disease...

A vintage black and white photo of an old man in a gold shirt and sweater. He is my neighbor Joe taken from my book Minding Our Elders.

Being an Effective Care Partner May Mean Stepping Back

In healthy partnerships, a relationship is built on our ability to trust that the other person has our best interests in mind....

Minding Our Elders’ Mid-Year Caregiver and Elder-Friendly Technology Roundup

Dear Readers: It’s mid-year already, and that means it’s time for my semi-annual column featuring caregiver and elder-friendly products, services, and technology. These...

This image shows the interior of a classic hospital room with bed covered in a sheet with a light green blanket. We see a black visitor's chair plus a board for instructions off to the side.

How to Get Over Feelings That Prevent You From Visiting Someone in a Care Home

People cite numerous reasons for why they hate visiting nursing homes. Some can’t stand funky smells, others find the sight of disengaged,...

An older woman with white hair cut in a stylish bob and wearing a white pullover shirt with a v neck looks out at the camera. She's tugging a bit on one side of her hair.

Reader Worried about Her Cognition After Repeated Infections

Dear Carol: I’m a 66-year-old, well-educated woman who has had multiple health challenges and many surgeries. Since I ushered my mother through...

We see a blurry window in the background. In the foreground, we see a woman with long brown hair covering her face with her hands as if in grief. She wears a modern, black-faced watch and a light rust-colored sweater or shawl.

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?’ “...

A vintage, faded color photo shows a group of older adults standing together, enjoying having their picture taken.

Once Close Friends Often Drift Away after Dementia Diagnosis

Dear Carol: My 67-year-old mother struggles to care for her 75-year-old husband with Alzheimer’s. In many ways, things are going pretty well,...