Living with parents

This image shows a gate to an outdoor garden. The wrought iron gate is turquoise. In for foreground, we see an older couple with the woman standing beside her seated husband who holds a decorative wood cane uplifted against his chest. Both of them have short white hair, medium toned skin, and sober expressions. The woman wears a black and white narrow striped dress with a back collar. Her arm rests outward against the chair back behind the man. The man wears a plaid flannel garment buttoned mid- hest with a barely visible gray tee shirt under it.

Should You Convince Your Aging Parents to Move Closer to You?

As a columnist for a newspaper on the northern plains, I often have readers write me that they are begging their parents to “come...

This closeup is of an older woman's lap. She's wearing a back and white geometric print skirt under a cream cable-knit sweater. We see her hands, nails tipped with red polish as if growing out, holding a turquoise pillbox of the weekly variety.

Strategies for Getting (and Staying) Organized While Caregiving

Caring for a vulnerable elder can be rewarding as well as frustrating. It can increase our self-esteem to know that we are helping someone...

This indoor image shows a white paneled background. In front, two women sit on a counch. The older woman has gray hair and is searing a light blue, collared shirt. Next to her sits a younger woman with blonde hair who is wearing a blue, short-sleeved top. The younger woman has her arm around the older woman as they look at each other. Both are smiling.

Cohabitation with Parent Working Except for Incontinence Battles

Dear Carol: My mom has lived with us for several years and it’s been going pretty well up to now. Her dementia is worsening,...

This indoor image shows an olde fashions room with a patterned oil-cloth table cloth. There is equipemnt hooked up around the woman sitting at the table with lots of cords evident. The woman is older with gray hair peaking out from a gray wool watch cap. She wears a bulky light-blue cardigan and is studying a paper in her hands.

Why Older Adults Often Feel Cold and How Dementia Exacerbates the Problem

Dear Carol: I’m a menopausal caregiver who is trying to balance my mom’s comfort with mine. She lives with me and has mild dementia...