Dignity

An indoor image shows a white-tiled kitchen in the background. The foreground, an older woman with chin-length salt and pepper hair and a pink sleeveless shirt, stirring something at the stove. She is wearing gray wire-rimmed glasses.

Caregiver Questions Reason for Lab Work When Mother Doesn’t Want Treatment

Dear Carol: I’ve been helping my 84-year-old mom with her medications and doctor appointments. She’s made it plain that she doesn’t want any more...

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...

An older woman with very long gray hair is wearing a celery green sweater with an open jacket over it. She has her eyes closed contentedly as a younger woman with long brown hair lays her head against the elder's chest. The younger woman wears a cream-colored sweater though all we see is the shoulders.

The Persistent Stigma Attached to Dementia Encourages Denial

Dear Carol: People write to you to complain about someone who, despite evidence, denies that they have dementia. I think I know why. At...

The background is a medium blue, one of Egosan's iconic colors. In the upper right is a multicolored graphic of pie shapes. The text reads Egosan Incontinence Products and provides a link and code: 50B637XT

Egosan Incontinence Sale: Fifty Percent Off Through September!

My wonderful partner EGOSAN Incontinence often has good sales, but this one is a whopper! Fifty percent off of incontinence products now through the...

How To Communicate with Your Older Parents So They Hear You

“My mom is 81 and lives alone in her condo,” Judy Hanson writes. “Her arthritis is painful, but she gets around with a walker....

Exterior of one-story multiple dwelling, each apartment with its own exterior door. Roof has series of dormers. Grass in the forground.

The Process of Convincing Your Parent to Move to Indepent Living

Aging In Place vs. Assisted Living: Professional in-home care and a medical alert system are sufficient for some seniors to remain at home safely...

The background is a wooden slat bench or deck. Foreground shows various tools spread about including a hammer, pliers, screwdriver and more.

How Hiring a Handyman Can Help Your Older 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...

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...

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...

Shadow image of an older man in a bowler hat crossing a city street while using a cane

A Caregiver’s Struggle: Balancing an Elder’s Sense of Purpose with Their Safety

A recent question brought back memories from my early days of caregiving. The member wrote, “My 81-year-old father still thinks he can do handyman...