Sandwich generation

Nicely dressed older woman with gray hair. She's wearing makeup and pearls with a cream colored sweater. A younger woman with dark blonde hair in a messy bun sits by her, holding her hand and chatting with her.

Aging Life Professionals Can Help Swamped Caregivers Find Resources

Dear Carol: I feel like I’m failing everyone because I can’t do everything well. I work full-time, and my kids are in middle school,...

An adult daughter with brown hair and wearing a red dress is showing dancing with an older gray-haired man, likely her father. The background shows lovely spring trees and a gathering that could be in a park.

Spring and Summer Cleaning: How to Refresh Your Caregiving Routine

For many families, spring or early summer is a time to shake off the winter blues, deep clean their homes and focus on getting...

Woman with long brown hair and glasses in front of a laptop computer. Her frustration shows as she bites down on a pencil placed horizontally in her mouth.

Siblings Who Feel Shut Out of Caregiving

There’s a great deal of anger in the world of family caregiving over siblings who don’t help care for their aging parents. Very often,...

Older man with gray hair wearing a white golf shirt. He's smoking a cigar and looking determined.

Handling Controlling Elderly Parents

The responsibility of providing care for an aging or ill loved one is a monumental challenge in its own right. But when a care...

Man and woman pointing fingers and yelling at each other. Look like adult siblings with brown hair and slightly Asian features

Adult Siblings Who Care More About Inheritance Than Parents’ Care

“We don’t want strangers taking care of Mom!” “We promised Dad he would never have to go to a nursing home!” “If you really...

Older man and woman, likely the grandparents, holding baby and toddler on their laps. Both grandparents have gray hair. Woman is wearing a purple sweater and man is wearing a pink shirt.

Balancing Caregiving 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...

Livingroom with white fireplace full of brown packing boxes ready to fill for a move

Should You Convince Your Aging Parents to Move Closer to You?

As a columnist for a newspaper on the northern plains, I often have readers write me that they are begging their parents to “come...

Older man with white hair in an outdoor setting looking angry

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....

Cover of Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories with the image of an older man - the author's father - on the cover sitting with his arms crossed.

Should You Join Someone with Dementia in Their Reality?

It was not unlike any other day, but on this particular afternoon Dad was adamant. He was waiting for his medical degree from the...

A Self-Help Approach to Coping with Caregiver Stress

Caregiving can bring forth an ever-changing kaleidoscope of emotions. These feelings are often bittersweet, but without the proper preparations and assistance, things can quickly...