Medical Stories

This indoor image shows a window through which we see blurred trees. Close up, a woman with a dark blod, low ponytail and light skin leans her forehead head against her hand. She's wearing a dark blue short-seepver shirt and we see a drinking glass off to the side with a bottle barely visible.

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 painful disease...

Sensitivity Training for Caregivers of People with Dementia

Please wipe this mess off of my face. Please! Don’t go so fast, I can’t swallow! I’m not ready for a drink yet! Is...

Should Your Parent Risk an Anesthesia Disaster or Forego Surgery?

Just last week a reader asked me whether she should try to sway her mother, who had colon cancer, toward surgery. Her mother, 87,...

Alzheimer’s Buddy Program Blends Personal Bonding with Education

Exceptional Alzheimer’s care is often a blend of bonding with the person who needs care and educating the caregiver about how best to help...

Caregiver Stories about Medical Experiences Increase Awareness

Dear Carol: In “Replacing the term ‘caregiver’ with ‘care partner’ helps preserve dignity,” you wrote about medical people who talk over older adults. Here’s my story: I...