End-of-life

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...

Reconciling Grief & Relief When the Loved One You Cared for Dies

When my mother died in a local nursing home, my “career” of visiting this exceptional facility nearly every day for almost 15 years ended....

5 Questions to Determine the 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 of moving...

Detaching With Love: Setting Boundaries With Difficult Elderly Parents

When the family member we are trying to care for is critical, impossible to please or emotionally abusive, long-standing family dynamics are often to...

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...

Tips to Beat Caregiver Holiday Blues

When store employees wish us Merry Christmas we smile back and return the greeting. When acquaintances wave and shout Happy Holidays across a parking...

Mom with Dementia Begs to Go Home: How to Help

Dear Carol: I take care of my 93-year-old mother in my home. Mom’s been physically frail for years, yet until recently, she’s remained cognitively...

How to Get Over Feelings That Prevent You from Visiting People in Care Homes and Hospitals

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