Self-care

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.

Seniority Authority presents: A Caregiver’s Toolbox with Carol Bradley Bursack, Minding Our Elders

Recently, I had the honor of being interviewed by Cathleen Toomey of Seniority Authority. Cathleen’s enthusiasm for the topic turned the experience...

This indoor image shows and older couple, likely grandparents, holding small children. The man has graying hair, wire-reimmed glasses, and wears a pink shirt. He holds an infant about about a year old wearing a blue and red plaid garment and a white gow in the hair. The woman reaches her hand out to the infamt, but we see just part of the arm of an older child who sites on her hap. The child wears a light blue top with dark blue around the collar. The woman has gray hair and glasses, and she wears a burgundy long-sleeved sweater. All have light skin.

Is It Wise for Your Aging Parent to 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....

This sepia-toned image shows an older could with content smiles since they have their arms around each other. We see the woman's profle as she looks off to the side. She has short, older fashioned brownish hair and is wearing a dark, formal wrap with a high, standing collar. The man has his hand on her shoulder and he looks out over her head. He's got receding gray hair and is wearing a dress suit with a white shirt and dark tie. Both have light skin.

Coping when Both Parents Have Dementia

“My mom and dad both have dementia. I am all alone taking care of them since. I have no one to help...

How to Handle 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...

Is Lying to Someone with Dementia Unethical or Compassionate?

Dear Carol: Like many of your readers, my husband has dementia of the Alzheimer’s type, and I’m caring for him at home....

A Story from the Sandwich Generation: Caring for Kids and Parents

Watching out for elders has always come naturally to me. I grew up close to my grandparents, and during my teenage years,...

An older woman is sitting in an easy chair but leaning slightly forward and to her right side. She has short steel-gray hair with whispy bangs, grazing her forehead. Her expression is annoyed, as she holds her hands over her ears. has an annoyed expression

5 Tips for Safeguarding Ear Health

Hearing problems don’t just happen to the very old. Boomers, as well as their parents, need to pay attention to ear health....

This outdoor image shows a rising sun just over the horizon of a body of water. A person with long hair is seen from the back, completely shadowed due to light contrast. They are sitting cross kneed with elbows on thighs, as if comntemplating.

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...

An extreme closeup of a the lower portion of a feminine face and black clad shoulder is all we see. We can see a portion of the ear and lower eye, half the nose, and half of the mouth that wears rose lipstick. Quiet tears stream down the cheek.

How to Engage in Self-Care While Grieving

Many caregivers watch their loved ones endure a long, slow decline that will eventually end in death. As they age, we grieve...

How to Support a Friend Who Has a Chronic Illness

Living with a chronic illness, such as cancer, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, or an immune disorder, can be...