Legal

We see a blurry window in the background. In the foreground, we see a woman with long brown hair covering her face with her hands as if in grief. She wears a modern, black-faced watch and a light rust-colored sweater or shawl.

Mother’s Decision to Refuse Potential Dialysis Worries Daughter

Dear Carol: I moved my 76-year-old mother in with me after her early memory loss diagnosis. Mom has multiple health problems, but...

Thei indoor image shows an older man sitting at a table using a laptop. He has a brown coffee cup near one hand. The man is bald, wears glasses, and is wearing a dark blue button-up, long0sleeved shirt. He looks engrossed in what he sees on the screen.

Parent’s Death Left Family Unable to Access Vital Online Accounts

Dear Carol: I rarely see this problem addressed. My dad, a widower, was in excellent health for someone in their 70s. He...

The Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease

The only certainty when diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease is that a senior’s condition will progressively worsen. The National Alzheimer’s Association has developed...

We view an older couple from the back as they look over a black railing onto a foaming body of water. They are standing on a red brik sidewalk or road. The man has a walking stipe in his hand with a strap over his shoulder. He's balking and wears a light colored sport coat and dark slacks. The woman has short gray hair and is wearing a black sweater and black pants. She holds onto the man's arm.

How to Approach Parents Who Appear to Need Help but Resist Your Efforts

Dear Carol: My parents are in their mid-eighties and live in the same home where they raised the family. They were doing...

This indoor office image shows gray walls and a widow in the background. A Black woman with curly hair has one hand on the wall by the window and with the other arm draped to her side. Shes' wearing a white buttoned up cartigan. We see two silver topped opened laptops on a table with arms of their users just visible. One has a hand, palm up, in front as if explaining something.

Should You Quit Your Job To Care for Your Elderly Parent?

As parents age and need more assistance, most adult children do what they can to help. For many, the first step is...

A clear blue sky with puffy clouds is on the horizon as an older woman is seen from the back. She's got frizzy gray hair and is sitting in a wheelchair. She looks shadowed by the bright sun.

How to Talk to the Doctor About Your Elderly Parent or Spouse

A frequent problem expressed among family caregivers is that their aging loved ones aren’t honest with their doctors. At home, they may...

Having ‘The Talk’: How to Discuss End-of-Life Issues with Parents

Sex and death: It’s odd that these two topics of conversation should bring so much anxiety to parents and children. One addresses...

The image shows an gray-haired woman in a red sweater sitting with a man, presumably her husband. The man has his arm around the woman. He wears a fedora with a red feather, dark-rimmed glasses, and a blue sweater.

Alzheimer’s: Theft, Paranoia or Forgetfulness?

“She took my sweater!” Victoria says. “I saw her. She stole it! That woman took the sweater my mother made for me!”...

Outdoor image of distant hills and trees. Foreground shows a couple with the man seated, possibly in a wheelchair. The man is bald with a beard and glasses. He wears a gray and white striped sweater. His head is turned sideways and he's smiling. The woman hugs him from the back as she stands. Her hair is in an Afro with golden tips and she's wearing a gray sweater.

Caring For Those in Chronic Pain: How Spouses Cope

Traditional marriage vows generally contain the words “through sickness and in health.” For some couples, chronic sickness in the form of a...

Image shows a closeup of multi-colored file folders with red in the foreground, going to orange, purple pinks and on to green

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...