Relationships

Journaling for Caregivers: Rediscover Yourself and Reclaim Your Life

At some point during your caregiving journey, you may find yourself in a rut. The awareness may come with a birthday, a change in...

Caring for Aging Parents Who Didn’t Care for You

…As we talked, Nancy described the inner turmoil she was facing as her parents got older. She grew up with a physically and emotionally...

To Celebrate or Not: Father’s Day when Dad Doesn’t Recognize You

Dear Carol: Father’s Day is a tough time for me. My dad has Alzheimer’s and every year the struggle to connect with him gets...

A Caregiver’s Struggle: Balancing an Older Adult’s Sense of Purpose with Their Safety

A recent question on the AgingCare Caregiver Forum brought back memories from my early days of caregiving. The member wrote, “My 81-year-old father still...

Hindsight Can Be a Blessing or a Curse for Caregivers

They say hindsight is 20/20. But things from the past that may seem “clear” to you now can still be distorted by difficult emotions—especially...

What to Do When Siblings Can’t Agree on a Parent’s Care Needs

For some lucky families, having all adult siblings gather around and plan how to take care of Mom and Dad as their parents’ health...

New to Caregiving: How Do I Keep from Going Under?

Dear Carol: My parents are in their 70s and had been mostly healthy. I don’t have to worry about financial and health legal documents because...

Replacing the Term ‘Caregiver’ with ‘Care Partner’ Helps Preserve Dignity

Dear Carol: My cognitively sharp, independent mother is healthy other than some early-stage macular degeneration. She graciously gave up driving and often uses ride-shares to get...

Caregivers Need to Support One Another’s Difficult Decisions

…Caregiving decisions are nearly always a matter of trade-offs. Balancing the benefits and risks of each scenario and then finally deciding — often through...