“I hope you’ll still laugh at my jokes when I have dementia,” I said to my husband Ryan on an...
Category: For Friends & Family
Real world advice for how to support the caregiver in your life.
Sizing Up the Decisions of Older Adults
Adult Protective Services agencies in every state receive reports of possible neglect,...
The weight of caring at home
"I wrote/drew this opinion piece for the LA Times two years ago, right before COVID drastically...
How to Coordinate a Parent’s Care With Siblings
When it becomes clear that an aging parent needs caregiving, it’s uncharted territory for adult...
When siblings become caregivers
All of Marlene’s children live within an hour of her Michigan home, yet Sheila, who lives the...
My partner died. Then my brother. Here’s what not to say to someone who is grieving
We are hardwired to say these things when someone dies because otherwise, it would be too much....
They Helped Free Britney. Now They Want Justice
Aside from Spears’ battles in court — and the one raging among fans — some #FreeBritney folks are...
Friend to healthcare worker
I am currently helping friends with their severely disabled child. The child needs round-the-clock...
The high cost of living in a disabling world
The turn of the millennium was marked by a litany of good intentions and disavowals of unequal...
The final five percent
For reasons I still can’t grasp, Conway — a brain-damaged burn victim with seven fingers — never...
My Stepdad Has Alzheimer’s. Can My Mom Date Someone Else?
What are your thoughts on the spouse of an early-onset Alzheimer’s patient dating while said...
The Autism Mom: Why Is She Like That?
The Autism Mom is an infamous villain in the autistic community. We are outraged that she wants to...
How One Rural Town Without a Pharmacy Is Crowdsourcing to Get Meds
The building that once housed the last drugstore in this town of fewer than 600 is now a barbecue...
Caregivers are Over Your Toxic Positivity
I stopped buying into the veneer of toxic positivity once I became the primary caregiver to my...
Don’t Tell a Caregiver to Stay Positive. Here’s How to Help Instead
My husband had been in the hospital, critically ill, for weeks one day when I broke down in tears...
Emma Dowling examines the mantras of self-care and what they tell us about our anxieties
As the care crisis intensifies, we are repeatedly urged to take care of ourselves. Ubiquitous,...
My dad has Alzheimer’s, but I’m more worried about his caregiver: my mom
Young-onset Alzheimer's is when someone is diagnosed before the age of 65. With young-onset,...
A Deep Dive into Deep Kindness: What It Really Means to Be Kind
One of the most dangerous narratives we have in our culture currently is this idea that kindness...
On Becoming Friends With a Non-Disabled Person
It helps to be friendly, considering that I’m stared at almost everywhere I go. I was born with...
What’s “dirty” self-care, and why doesn’t it work?
the self-care we're currently engaging in is mostly a consumerized one predicated on attaining...
At 82, My Grandmother Has Lost Her Husband — And The World As She Knows It
The disarray and social upheaval caused by the virus took a life event that’s already fraught for...
How to Talk to a Friend Whose Posts Have You Worried
Even before the coronavirus pandemic began, a lot of people were talking more honestly about their...
I Loved Planning My Queer, Disability-Friendly Wedding — But It Wasn’t Easy
When we recapped our thoughts about the venue later in the car, we both disappointedly took the...
But I meant well!
One of the things I hear all the time is that people's friends and family just don't understand...