Caregiving

For a long time, I believed that caring deeply meant absorbing other people’s pain. I thought being a compassionate person required emotional sacrifice. Staying up late worrying, saying yes when I needed to say no, and feeling responsible for everyone else’s healing…

Recently, our family faced a new challenge when our 88-year-old grandmother suffered a minor stroke, experienced several falls, and now requires rehabilitation with hopes of returning home. Despite previous caregiving experiences, this situation felt different as we were less prepared…

My aunt is like my third parent. She taught in schools around the world and spent every summer living with us. Always single and with no children of her own, she has been, in my mind, a part of our immediate – not extended – family. I love and adore her…

When someone we love moves into a senior living community, it can feel like they are in good hands – and often they are. The best communities offer safe, stimulating environments with compassionate staff and ample programming. But even in the best settings, nothing compares…

Several years ago, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Amy Goyer, family caregiver expert for AARP. We spoke about long-distance caregiving. Amy has extensive experience as a caregiver, having been one for her grandparents and parents…

Women are more likely to get dementia, more likely to be family caregivers, and more likely to be working in one of the facilities that supports families and those affected. It’s a big issue for us. To be honest, worrying will get you nowhere…

Have you noticed that sometimes people don’t speak to disabled or ill persons because they don’t really know what to say? The same is true about caregivers. If friends don’t know exactly what to say to us, sometimes they say nothing at all…

As caregivers, we often search for ways to help our loved ones preserve their independence and sense of self – especially when signs of cognitive decline begin to show. A groundbreaking new study gives us practical hope. The U.S. POINTER trial, one of the largest and most…

Are you one of the many people who are looking after someone who is very ill? Perhaps a spouse, sibling, parent or friend? As you well know, it is a highly tiring and difficult task, however much it is undertaken with love. You may be overloaded with advice…

Being a caregiver comes with its challenges and rewards, especially when you are placed in the unexpected position of caring for a relative or loved one diagnosed with dementia. When a loved one cognitively declines, the question is not whether…