When we talk about aging in place, we also need to discuss the needs of caregivers. After all, people don't age in place in a vacuum; often in the aging journey a helping hand is required. So what do caregivers need to thrive in a community that embraces...
When we talk about aging in place, we also need to discuss the needs of caregivers. After all, people don't age in place in a vacuum; often in the aging journey a helping hand is required. So what do caregivers need to thrive in a community that embraces...
When you suddenly find yourself in a long-distance caregiving situation, you realize how much every mile of separation means. Every time I made that trip from Georgia to New Mexico as my parents' health declined, I was reminded of the consequences of living so far...
This summer has already been a scorcher, and sadly, deadly for the most vulnerable populations, including our elders. Arizona's record-breaking heat wave has already claimed lives, and the rise in heat-related deaths, especially among the older population, is expected...
The first session at the Aging in America conference that I attended last week was titled, "Is family caregiving the next public health crisis?" I'm sure all of you can guess what the answer was: a resounding yes. After attending this year's conference in Chicago, I...
When a loved one dies, we often go into cleaning mode. There is an urge to bring order to a world that has been turned upside down. I began cleaning out my mother's condo the same day that she died. I was desperate to stay busy, to wear my body out with exhaustion as...
A new year means a new emphasis on resolutions, life goals, and marking things off that bucket list. As caregivers, we may find ourselves abandoning our own dreams to help an ill relative tackle their own bucket list. Is there a better way to achieve...
A visit to the dentist is sometimes met with dread, but our mouths tell us more about our health than we may realize. I gained insight into the importance of oral health in my years as a caregiver for my parents. Our family always had lousy teeth; some of my earliest...
Making modifications to the home can help your loved ones age in place, a goal of an increasing amount of families. There are plenty of resources online that offer checklists and other pieces of advice that cover the most common modifications. With hindsight...
No matter what the outcome of the 2016 presidential election is, caregiver advocates will continue to push for greater support and recognition. A recent report called family caregiving a "critical issue of public policy." This is an exciting and frustrating time for...
The last thing you may feel like doing when you are actively caregiving is engaging that creative spark. Heck, if you were creative before caregiving, you may believe that your creative fire has been extinguished forever. Be open to opportunities for expression during...
As I share my experiences of being a caregiver for my parents, I find myself constantly questioning how many personal details I should be revealing about my parents' medical conditions. While common decency frowns upon TMI (Too Much Information), in the caregiving...
Finally, I can see the light. I'm slowly but steadily climbing my way out of a mountain of debt that I accrued as a caregiver. The financial burden of being a caregiver can be devastating, but it is often overlooked. We don't like to talk about caregiving in...
I never expected that my sweet elderly mother would be caught in the crosshairs of the latest war on drugs. From the White House to the CDC, pain relief in the form of prescription opioids is suddenly Public Enemy No. 1. The Obama administration has unveiled the...
The only parent-child conversation more excruciating than the birds and the bees is the death talk. In a fantasy world, our parents would record their end-of-life wishes in a legal document and set aside a good chunk of change for funding. They would include a...
You owe yourself something. We are always so quick to thank others for their kind actions that sometimes we lose sight of ourselves. Of course we should thank those special people in our lives who have made the caregiving journey a bit easier. Take time to reach out...
Caregiving is an emotional endeavor by its very nature. When people discuss their own caregiving experiences, or write about them, raw emotions are often shared. We want someone else to understand what we are going through, as caregiving can be such a lonely and...
When I asked the funeral home director about obtaining an autopsy for my mother, I was met with a long, uncomfortable silence, as if I had asked about arranging a cannibal feast with my mom’s corpse as the main course. “Do you really want to do that,” he asked,...
Though I had been keeping track of my mother’s weight and vital signs like some people analyze the statistics of their fantasy football players, I was still unprepared when I saw my mother’s emaciated body in person. How much weight could one lose in a month? A lot,...
It may sound crazy, but if there was ever a time to employ the cliché, “Stop and smell the roses,” it is when taking care of a loved one who is dying. Family caregivers can become so preoccupied with monitoring, managing, and documenting their loved one’s...
At one point during my mother’s last month on this planet, she was offered an extra pillow to make her more comfortable. She half-joked that the pillow belonged over her face. If I had known what her final days would be like, I may have obliged. Dying at home...