Minding Our Elders

Minding Our Elders Blog

Older woman with gray hair wears a white, vee necked shirt. She's tugging on a lock of hair by her chin and smiling like she's telling someone what she wants.

Helping vs. Enabling: How to Strike a Balance While Caregiving

Most family caregivers want what is best for their loved ones, and they’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen. Unfortunately, discerning what’s...

The background is a home with a large window. A caregiver knees on the floor. She is wearing a blue short sleeved shirt and white pants. She holds her hands out enocouragingly to an older soman who is using a walker and moving toward her. The older woman has gray hair and is wearing a long beige sweater.

Family Caregivers Still Undervalued By Many

We live in a society that tends to value what we do over who we are. If what we do isn’t highly paid or...

Two Hispanic women, brightly dressed, sitting on a wall. They are laughing and enjoying each others company. One wears a red top, the other a yellow top with red print slacks. Outdoor background is of a hill with green below.

Humor Shared Among Caregivers Is Therapeutic

I once visited a caregiver friend and her mother, who had moderate Alzheimer’s disease. At one point during the visit, the mother abruptly stood...

Background is white sheer curtain. Foreground is an older gray haired man seated in a chair. He's wearing a navy blue short sleeved shirt, His arm is raised to his face where his hand covers his mouth. He seems to be leaning slightly on his hand as he quietly dozes.

Why Does My Older Loved One Sleep All Day?

As people age, they tend to sleep more lightly than when they were younger. Waking up during the night due to achy joints or...

Middle-aged woman sits with jean clad knee drawn up. She's wearing a dark green sweather. One arm is around knew and the other bent up with hand over mouth. Her expression is one of saddness or anxiety.

In Caregiving, Anxiety Can Be Contagious

We all live with a certain amount of worry, much of which is caused by fear of the unknown. Since health issues can change...

A large, well-furnished room with many windows and a lot of light. Blue area rug by the glass door. Wood floors, white couch

The Emotional Toll of Moving Your Elderly Parent to Senior Living

Put yourself in your parent’s shoes. They’ve likely lived in the same home for many years, but they’re getting older and their needs are...

A frail looking older adults in a wheelchair, photographed from the side. Their gray hair is short, and more visible than the face which is turned in the other direction. They are wearing a dark brown sweater.

Worried Caregiver Feels Responsible for Frail Dad’s Nutrition

Dear Carol: I’m worried about my dad. He’s been diagnosed with vascular dementia, but he also has heart disease and recently had cancer treatment....

Woman in blue tee shirt standing by a table showing a book that looks like a picture album to a seated older man in a read flannel

Having “The Talk”: Discussing 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...

The background shows a white, multilevel living facility. Foreground shows the back of a moving van with a dolly holding a pile of moviong boxes sealed with red tape.

Downsizing Tips for Seniors Who Are Moving to Assisted Living

For most seniors, moving from a long-time home into an assisted living facility is difficult. For some, it’s nearly paralyzing. In addition to countless...