Minding Our Elders

Minding Our Elders Blog

With Medical Test and Treatments for Older Adults, Often Less is More

Dear Carol: I’m upset because my dad, age 84, is refusing a colonoscopy even though he’s had some blood in his stools....

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

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

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.

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...

The Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease (the 7 Stage Model)

The only certainty when diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease is that a senior’s condition will progressively worsen. The national Alzheimer’s Association has developed...

This indoor image shows a woman with Asian features, long, dark hair tied back lovingly hugging an older adult from behind. The older adult, also appearing Asian, has thin gray hair drawn ack and wears a red jacket. The younger woman has one hand on the olde adult's arm and with the oppsing arm slung around their shoulder. The older person is touching the younger person's hand on the shoulder.

Is It Normal to Grieve Before Someone Dies?

Nearly everyone involved in caring for an ill or aging loved one is experiencing some degree of grief. However, we don’t usually...

This indoor image shows an older man in the forground. He's sitting in a chair but looking up at a younger woman who is smiling at him. He wears a pastel plaid summer sport shirt and she wears a white professional jacket.

Hospice Care: Help During the End Stages of Life

“No one needs to die in pain.” That is what the social worker told me as I signed the papers that would...

image shows closeup of the interior stringed instrument. The wood is golden in color.

Music Therapy Can Increase Quality of Life for Those in Hospice

For many, music from certain eras can bring back memories of better times. For others, music soothes anxiety or gets them pumped...

Older couple, Hispanic heritage, both with gray hair. Taller man has his arm around the woman's neck in a loving way. She is softly touching his arm and hand.

Transitioning from Spouse to Caregiver Presents a Confusing Dynamic

Dear Carol: My husband and I have been together for 59 years and married 56. He’s in his sixth year after a...

You Are Not Alone: Caregivers Share Their Experiences

Long-term caregiving can be isolating and lonely, which is why peer support is so vital to a caregiver’s mental, emotional, and physical...

An young woman stands close to an older man, leaning slighly against him. The man is bald and wears glasses and a gray shirt. The young woman has medium brown hair pulled back with strands in front and wears a green sweater. They are both smiling.

Mistakes to Avoid When Caregiving for Someone Living with Alzheimer’s

Most of us who have cared for someone living with dementia of any type, whether that is Alzheimer’s (AD), Lewy body dementia...