Relationships

Is There a Link Between Diabetes and Incontinence?

While having diabetes doesn’t mean that you will experience incontinence, the disease does seem to increase your incontinence risk. There are several...

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.

New Caregivers: Tips on Caring for Elderly Parents

I have interacted with countless professional and informal caregivers over the years, and I’ve noticed two prominent patterns that characterized my own...

An older Asian parent in a red coat is hugged from behind by his daughter

Dad’s Personality Has Changed Overnight: Medications? A UTI?

Dear Carol: My dad, 86, lives with me. He has an academic’s personality, so we’ve often talked about different issues that spanned...

This indoor image shows a white paneled background. In front, two women sit on a counch. The older woman has gray hair and is searing a light blue, collared shirt. Next to her sits a younger woman with blonde hair who is wearing a blue, short-sleeved top. The younger woman has her arm around the older woman as they look at each other. Both are smiling.

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...

And older woman with white hair sits in a chair with a younger woman in a medical coat leaning over her, touching her shoulder. They are both smiling.

Could a New Medication Be the Cause of Mom’s Increased Falls?

Dear Carol: My mom’s had a lot of health problems in her life, so her prescription list is long. Yet, sure enough,...

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.

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...

When Someone You Love Lives with Alzheimer’s and Doesn’t Recognize You

Watching a loved one move through the stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can be one of life’s toughest and most heartbreaking challenges....

A vintage black and white photo of an old man in a gold shirt and sweater. He is my neighbor Joe taken from my book Minding Our Elders.

Being an Effective Care Partner May Mean Stepping Back

In healthy partnerships, a relationship is built on our ability to trust that the other person has our best interests in mind....

This closeup image shows a young woman with light blonde hair. fair skin, and blue eyes. Her hair is cut into a short bob with long front hair over one eye. She's looking to the side so what we see of her face if sad with a slightly reddened nose.

10 Common Causes of Caregiver Guilt

Wouldn’t it be nice to be a family caregiver who never gets frustrated and is an eternal optimist? Maybe there are some...

The background is an indoor wall in muted cream. Foreground is a frustrated woman with an Afro that is parted on the side. She has brown skin and is wearing a light tourquoise ribbed turtleneck sweater with long sleeves. Her elbows are bent and hands are held up in the air in frustration or anger.

How to Cope with Alzheimer’s Caregiver Burnout

You watch your once mentally sharp loved one decline before your eyes. Their uncontrollable behaviors, mood swings, outbursts, confusion, and memory loss...