Sandwich generation

A Christmas images showing blurred red and gold lights in the background. The foreground shows a closeup of a gold snowflake such as you would hang on a Christmas tree.

10 Ways to Beat the Holiday Blues

When store employees wish us “Merry Christmas!” we smile back and return the greeting. When acquaintances wave and shout “Happy Holidays!” across a parking...

The image shows late fall leaves hanging from a branch in the foreground with a blurred background.

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...

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.

Handling Sibling Criticism During the Holidays

Family caregivers often put their lives on hold to care for their loved ones. In cases where adult children are caring for their parents,...

This indoor image shows closed white draperies in the background. ONe the left we see a younger black woman who wears a yellow cardigan over a cream top and jeans. Seh's bending over as she helps an older black man sit in a chair. He has gray hair and is wearing a medium blue pullover.

Should Your Older Parent 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...

This image sows a ladder leaning up against a wall that is partially drywalled and partially torn apart.

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

Most seniors need to feel useful to enjoy a high quality of life. They maintain a sense of purpose by sticking to their everyday...

Having ‘The Talk’: How to Discuss End-of-Life Issues with Parents

Sex and death: It’s odd that these two topics of conversation should bring so much anxiety to parents and children. One addresses the beginning...

This black and white image shows a very close view of an older man's face. He's scowling with his eyes turned toward the side looking at the camera. He holds his eyeglasses in his hand so all we see is one bow in front of his face.

Coping With Seniors Who Won’t Accept In-Home Caregivers

Hiring in-home care for my elderly neighbor Joe, was quite an ordeal. The company we chose and their professional caregivers were great, but the...

This outdoor image shows a man and a woman in the sun with flower bushes behind. The man wears a black hat and dark tee shirt. He has a dark brown beard. The woman has short drak hair and is wearing a gray/blue shirt. The are both looking to the side at something beyond the camera.

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...

A family dinner table with a happy black family sharing a meal. There is a husband/father with a beard wearing a blue shirt with rolled-up sleeves, a wife/mother with curly black hair wearing a gray top, and two children, a girl and a boy. The girl is in the foreground. They are all having a good time.

Balancing Elder Care with Other Relationships

Becoming a family caregiver is often something that either happens very suddenly or slowly sneaks up on a person. When a loved one has...

The image has a dark indoor background. In the foreground is an older woman with darker, wrinkled sking and very short white hair. She's wearing brown rimmed glasses and a top that has blue and white sleeves and trim with a deep red vest like shoulder. Her expression shows her eyes turning left and her mouth as if she's speaking bitter words.

Caring for Aging Parents Who Didn’t Care for You

Years ago, a journalist (we’ll call her Nancy) requested an interview with me to discuss common caregiving issues for an article she was writing....