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...
End-of-life
When Loved Ones Rally Before Death
Family members are often relieved and hopeful when a dying loved one suddenly becomes more aware of their surroundings or begins talking or eating...
Paid Family Leave Benefits Both Employees and Employers
If I’d had paid family leave during my caregiving years, my life and the lives of my loved ones would have been quite different....
How to Engage in Self-Care While Grieving
Many caregivers watch their loved ones endure a long, slow decline that will eventually end in death. As they age, we grieve every mental...
Elder Care Needs Can Change in an Instant
During the years I cared for multiple elders, I grew to dread the ringing of the telephone. It seemed most calls meant emergencies. One...
Caregiving’s Impossible Choices Can Lead to Endless Second-Guessing
Dear Carol: Mom is 84 and was in good health until she had a stroke while visiting us. Even though we knew that she is...
Helping Former Caregiving Dad Regain His Sense of Purpose
Dear Carol: After their retirements, my parents moved to be nearer to me and my family. Unfortunately, Mom was soon diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, so they...
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...
When One Parent Dies the Other Often Needs a Long-Term Care Plan
Long-term marriages generally evolve into a support system so efficient that even adult children hardly notice changes in their parents. If Dad’s hearing is...
“I Promised My Parents I’d Never Put Them in a Care Home”
Caregiving is a job that is full of ups and downs. Many of us take on this role out of love and concern, but...
