Why An Older Adult’s Bathing Less Often Could Signal Healthy Self-Care
Dear Carol: Why do people get less inclined to bathe or shower daily as they get older? My dad, who used to...
Minding Our Elders
Confused About Palliative Care Vs. Hospice Care? You Aren’t Alone
Dear Carol: My mom has advanced lung disease as well as late-stage Alzheimer’s. We know that there are no cures for either...
Hiring a Private Caregiver Presents an Administrative Burden, but There’s Help
Dear Carol: We’ve used caregivers through an agency for my mom who has dementia, but locally they are all short-staffed and unreliable....
Reconciling Grief & Relief When the Loved One You Cared for Dies
When my mother died in a local nursing home, my “career” of visiting this exceptional facility nearly every day for almost 15...
Examine Your Motives Before Pushing Healthy Parents to Make Changes
Dear Carol: Last Christmas, my siblings and I discussed the need for our parents to downsize. We recognize that they are still...
Hospital Delirium: Cognitive Decline After Hospitalization
In the expected course of treatment, people are hospitalized because they are ill. Then, barring a terminal condition, they are released because...
Caregiver or Care Partner? What Evolving Terminology Means
Decades ago, when I began my caregiving life, I just did what I did. I’m not sure I was referred to as...
How Can I Keep Husband with Dementia Hydrated in This Heat?
Dear Carol: My husband is in mid-stage Alzheimer’s. While there are many challenges, my most urgent question right now is how can...
How to Help Mom with Bone Fractures Cope with Embarrassing Incontinence
Dear Carol: Recently, my mother, 76, fell and broke a hip, fractured a wrist, and cracked an ankle. She’s in the hospital...
Are People with Advanced Alzheimer’s Aware of Their Surroundings?
Even among medical experts, you will find differing opinions on how much someone with advanced dementia of any type understands. Alzheimer’s disease...
