Family

This indoor images shows an older woman with short gray hair, covering her ears as if she is blocking out bad news. Her expression is sad and bewildered.

When One Parent Dies the Other Often Needs Extra Help

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...

A simple spiral-bound notebook lies open on a rough picnic table. A fountain pen, tip off, lies on top.

Journaling for Caregivers: Rediscover Yourself

At some point during your caregiving journey, you may find yourself in a rut. The awareness may come with a birthday, a change in...

The indoor background shows a blurred gold cross. In the foreground, a woman with long brown hair is crying. Her arms are bent upward with her hands held as if in prayer but also wiping away tears.

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....

The image shows a hospital room with white blinds closed in the background. Int he foreground, a tech is olding an IV line up as another tech wheels a patient with a cast from let to hip back to their bed. The first tech wears a white coat, then second one wear blue scrubs. The man in the chair is wearing a beige gown or robe.

Hospital Delirium: Cognitive Decline After Hospitalization

Note: While more is known now about hospital delirium, there is still not enough done to prevent hospital delirium or quickly treat it, if...

Hindsight Can Be a Blessing or a Curse for Caregivers

They say hindsight is 20/20. But things from the past that may seem “clear” to you now can still be distorted by difficult emotions—especially...

The image shows a gray desktop with a window in the background. In front is a spiral bound calendar standing upright showing a front page that in read says: Life is short. Do stuff that matters.

New Year’s Resolutions for Caregivers

It’s human to want a fresh start. Even though I know that December 31 of one year is rarely that different from January 1...

The image shows an indoor background with a kitchen window. IN the foreground, a woman with brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, holders her hand to her forehead as she leans on her elbow. She wears a medium blue, short-sleeved shirt, and there's a water gladd sitting nearby. Her expression shows worry or sadness.

Questions to Determine the Impact of Caregiving on You and Your Family

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

the indoor image is of a celebratory combination of gold egg shaped bulbs and white ones on ticks in a vase. There are additional gold and white twisted favors stuck in the base, too.

Happy 2025 to You All from Minding Our Elders!

On New Year’s Day I often think of how, as a small child, I’d revel in my new pointy crayons and fresh paper that...

The image shows a closeup of a man with brown hair wearing a beige tee shirt. Heis face wears a bemused expression with raised eyebrows, blue eyes wide open, and mouth showing puzzlement.

New Caregivers: Tips on Caring for Elderly Parents

I have interacted with countless professional and informal caregivers over the years, and I’ve noticed two prominent patterns that characterized my own experiences and...