Minding Our Elders

A Self-Help Approach to Coping with Caregiver Stress

Caregiving can bring forth an ever-changing kaleidoscope of emotions. These feelings are often bittersweet, but without the proper preparations and assistance, things...

We see two middle-aged adults sitting at a distance on a couch, clearing aging. The woman on the left had her head turned away. She has shoulder length brown hair and is wearing a white shirt. Her arms are folded in defiance. The male on the right also has his head turned away and sits with arms folded. He has brown hair and is wearing a blue, long-sleeved shirt.

Siblings’ Focus is on Preserving their Inheritance Over Doing Right

Dear Carol: You’ve heard it all before. I’ve cared for both parents through years of their failing health. After Dad died, I...

Image of Carol Bradley Bursack as she's interviewed by The Retirement Navigator

The Conversation With Your Aging Parents You Keep Avoiding — And Why It Can’t Wait

I recently had the privilege of being interviewed by Kwame Kwadey for The Retirement Navigator. It was fun for me because Kwame...

Am I a Caregiver? Defining the Family Caregiver Role

Many individuals struggle to accept the label of “family caregiver,” but fully embracing this role increases our chances of succeeding in it....

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.

Why So Many Long-Married Couples Die Close Together

While death rarely brings pleasant feelings, from time to time, we’ll see a story about death go viral on the Internet because...

This image is the cover of "Bringing Art to Life" by Daniel Potts. Close up on the left, we see a bright yellow sphere, with orage on top. Further down is more yellow with splotches of color on the left. The sphere could be a hat or a paint pallet. The cover art is slightly abstractt.

Dementia Can Open the Door to Artistic Expression

The treatment of people with dementia has changed dramatically since I first became personally involved with the disease. It’s now widely recognized...

This indoor image shows a blurred background with an older mother-daughter in the foreground. The daughter is one the left. She has a blonde bob, wire rimmed glasses, and wears a green sweater. The mother is on the right. She has steel gray hair drawn back and is wearing a dark, collared top. The younger woman has her arm around the older woman's shoulders and they both wear soft smiiles.

Hospice Education Helps Families Understand How to Support Loved One

Dear Carol: My siblings and I are at odds over how to help our 80-year-old mom during her last weeks of life....

An older man with white hair and a trim beard and mustache sits on a couch next to an older woman. They appear to be sharing a laugh. The woman has gray hair pinned up, and wears glasses and a blue sweater. The man is wearing a brown cardigan.

How Confabulation in Dementia Differs from Lying as We Understand It

Dear Carol: My husband of 43 years has been diagnosed with dementia. We were fortunate to have a good marriage based on...

A tired lookin woman with plentiful dark hair holds a hand against her temple while she stares at a computer screen. The room is dark, as if evening, and she looks unable to do more.

Siblings Complain Designated Caregiver Is Slow to Update Them

Dear Carol: I’m from a family of three boys, and due to proximity, I’ve become the caregiver for our aging parents. Thankfully,...

5 Essential Steps for the Senior Care Conversation

A Place for Mom continues to add to the conversation about how caregiving affects the lives of women. I recently had the...