Grief

This closeup image shows just the head of a woman with dark skin tightly curled hair. She is looking downward with her fingers covering her eyes where you can see one lip closed. She has nails polished in dark blue and a silver pinky ring. The mood is one of sadness or despair.

Is It Normal to Grieve Before Someone Dies?

Nearly everyone involved in caring for an ill or aging loved one is experiencing some degree of grief. However, we don’t usually...

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.

Hospice Care: Help During End Stages of Life

Each time I walked into Dad’s room in the nursing home, he would be rigid in bed, propped up on one elbow...

The image shows the cover of the AARP Caregiver Answer Book with the title in bold over a blue sky. There is a stylized hill with a highway rolling over it. We see the dotted lines of the highway and stylized trees in various green, yellow and fall-like orange tones on the backside of the road. on the green grass toward the bottom of the graphic we see the author's names: Barry J. Jacobs, PsyD and below that Julia L. Mayber, PsyD

The Perfect Holiday Gift for A Caregiver: ‘The AARP Caregiver Answer Book’

Holidays nearly always increase the emotional load of caregiving and often, the physical tasks as well. With Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and the...

This black and white image shows an older man up close. We see his wrinkled brown, his busy eyebrows, and a side-eye expression . He holds reading glasses lense side down in front of his frowning mouth with one stem pointing upward.

What People Living with Dementia Would Like Their Caregivers to Understand

People living with dementia are the only ones who really understand what it’s like to live with their form of the disease,...

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.

The Emotional Impact of Losing a Loved One to Dementia

“Carol!” The hospice nurse’s voice was quiet but urgent. I instinctively knew what was happening. She had been shifting Dad’s position so...

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Grief: The Way to Continue On Is to Work Through It

Dr. Gail Gross, Ph.D., doctor of education, is a nationally recognized family, child development, and human behavior expert, author, and educator. She...

This image shows and older man lying on a hospital bed. A young child with should-length brown hair and a print top looks at him as he gazes back.

What Is a Pre-Death Rally?

Family members are often relieved and hopeful when a dying loved one suddenly becomes more aware of their surroundings or begins talking...

We see a cloudy, rather stormy background. In the foreground, a woman with a gray bob is seen from the back. She sits with her head bowned so we see a bit of her neck and an ear where the hair falls away. She wears a slate gray top.

Grief Counseling Can Help Caregivers Long Before Care Recipient Passes

Dear Carol: I supported and cared for my parents for years before they both died days apart last year. Now, my husband...

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.

8 Ageless Truths of Dementia Caregiving

As we travel our own unique journeys, most of us find that certain phrases or concepts take on the status of truth...

This indoor image has a black background. IN the foreground, we see a table with comforting items. There's a tissue box, a white cup with a straw, and a pair of reading glasses made handy.

Breaking the News That a Loved One is Going on Hospice Care

When the paperwork was finally signed to get hospice care for my dad, I was grateful. There would now be a routine...