Minding Our Elders

Minding Our Elders Blog

An older woman with salt and pepper hair and brown skin sits in what appears to be a balcony chair that's black wrought iron. She's wearhing a white top with pink and green muted flowers and her expression is unhappy as though complaining.

Caregivers Can’t Fix Aging, but We Can Listen and Validate Distress

Dear Carol: My mom’s blessed with relatively good health for someone in her early 80s. She has enough money to live nicely,...

A picture of Dr. Leslie Kernisan. Dr. Kernisan has curly dark hair and is wearing a black suit with a purple bead necklace and small drop earrings. She's smiling in a professional portrait.

Geriatrician Opens Support Group to New Members Year-Around

This is a unique caregiver opportunity that includes bi-monthly live phone sessions with a geriatrician where you can discuss your caregiving concerns,...

Image shows a blurred background of an with a speeding ambulance in the foreground. Ambulance shows red and blue graphics on white.

Elder Care Needs Can Change in an Instant

During the years I cared for multiple elders, I grew to dread the ringing of the telephone. It seemed most calls meant...

Two men are sitting on a couch. The younger, brown=haired man on the left is wearing a striped shirt. His expression is one of frustration. He touches his forehead with his fingers, like he's on the verge of anger. The older man, facing him, wears a light blue shirt. His hand, palm open, in front, shows he's trying to explain something.

Should I Have to Take Care of My Elderly In-Laws?

Family caregiving doesn’t always stop at caring for our own aging parents. Our significant other’s mom and dad often look to us...

Image of a large room interior with multiple windows and seating. Muted earth tones dominate, with a deep brown couch.

Paying for Assisted Living: When Siblings Split Costs, What Is Fair?

There are many options for the care of our aging parents, but most of them are costly. There was a stretch of...

Older woman in a wheelchair wears a gray sweater. She has short, salt and pepper hair and has a appears happy. A younder woman, presumably her caregiver, is bending down to listen to the older woman. The caregiver has long brown hair, white skin, and has her hand on the wheelchair push handles.

How Involved Should Families Be When Elders Live in a Senior Living Facility?

Over the course of 15 years, five of my elderly loved ones lived, for various spans of time, in a nearby nursing...

older, gray-haired man sitting at a table with younger man. The setting shows a room in a facility such as assisted living. Large windows appear in the background along with some foliage from a tree branch.

Do Parents Really Want to Live with Their Adult Children?

It’s difficult to pinpoint how many aging parents live with their adult children, but there is certainly a lot more interest in...

A very close shot of an older face. The person has blank looking blue eyes, the skin is white, sun damaged, and wrinkeled.

Repetitive Questions in Dementia Stems from Memory Loss and Confusion

Dear Carol: My mother, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, repeats the same question multiple times an hour. I know that’s typical...

Background of a light wood interior door in a large room. Foreground is a communal dining table set with flowers, cups and other white tablewear. Sitting at the table is an older couple. The white-haired woman is wearing a blue dress with a white collar. The white-haired man wis wearing a dark blue suit with military medals pinned to the jacket.

Encouraging Parents to Socialize After the Move to Senior Living

Moving to senior living is often a difficult transition for aging loved ones. Even elders who are on board with the decision...

Interior view of a large common room. A round, dark-wood table and two chairs are visible on the right. A large square coffee table is visible on the live. A large screened TV sits on a wall next to a fireplace. Windows cover one side.

What to Look for When Visiting Someone in a Care Facility

So, you and your loved one have taken the plunge. You’ve put in the time and effort to research senior housing options,...