How to Get Over Feelings That Prevent You from Visiting People in Care Homes and Hospitals
People cite numerous reasons for why they hate visiting nursing homes. Some can’t stand funky smells, others find the sight of disengaged, listless seniors...
Relationships
How Hiring a Handyman Can Help Your Elderly Parents
Years ago, I saw a van whose driver was letting teenagers off in front of the local high school, where I was doing the...
Trying to Force In-home Care on Independent Older Adult Can Backfire
Dear Carol: Why can’t my 85-year-old mom see that in-home care would help keep her safe? Her mind is great. She uses a computer...
How to Handle Siblings in Denial About a Parent’s Declining Health
Nearly all family caregivers with siblings have experienced some version of sibling denial regarding their aging parents. Whether it stems from a subconscious need...
Gifting a Family Caregiver without Creating Extra Burden
Dear Carol: My friend’s husband has been living with Alzheimer’s disease for several years which, of course, has dramatically changed both of their lives....
Should Your Elderly Loved One Move in With You?
Decades ago, it was fairly common to have grandparents living with family and it often worked well. It did for my family. My parents...
A Caregiver’s Struggle: Balancing an Elder’s Sense of Purpose with Their Safety
A Caregiver’s Struggle: Balancing an Elder’s Sense of Purpose with Their Safety A recent question on the AgingCare Caregiver Forum brought back memories from...
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,...
Rushing People with Cognitive Decline Simply Increases Anxiety
Dear Carol: Last year, my husband was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Our current challenge is that he still wants to be Mr....
How to Stay Sane During the Holidays as a Sandwich Generation Caregiver
If one can believe the old Westerns, frontier women were the ultimate multi-taskers. They could rock a cradle with their foot to quiet a...
