"For most older Americans, care will come from unpaid family members or friends, who contributed...
Category: Long Distance Caregiving
Many of us live far from those we care about, separated by a few hours drive or an ocean. Long distance caregivers may take on responsibility for paperwork and coordination. We also spend a considerable amount of free time making sure we’re there in person for important moments and providing respite care.
Something Better Than This
I've been under significant financial stress. My family has also been hit by a couple of major...
A loved one’s dementia will break your heart. Don’t let it wreck your finances
It is among a cluster of studies that point to financial problems as a possible warning sign —...
As she nursed her mom through cancer and dementia, a tense relationship began to heal
In March 2020, Lori traveled to Florida to help Audrey move into an assisted living facility, a...
And So on and So Forth
The woman is my mother, who is 81 and losing her memory, the past dissolving each day like so many...
The #Midwessay: Sarah Cords, You Can’t Go Home Again
Just lately it is even harder to stay in my house, my geographical middle. This is because my...
My dad now makes risky choices and I need to accept the role reversal
I pull up in front of the house, knowing Dad will not be waiting to greet me. Having trouble...
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...
What the Conversation Around the “Great Resignation” Leaves Out
Since the beginning of the pandemic, one in five health care workers has left their job. They’ve...
When siblings become caregivers
All of Marlene’s children live within an hour of her Michigan home, yet Sheila, who lives the...
My Mother, Before She Drank
My older sister and I eventually decided to involve our aunt to help figure out a way to save her....
Chinese Cooking Helps Me Connect With My Mother—And Helps Me Prepare to Lose Her
The words that I could not bring myself to admit bubbled to the surface: I have been preparing for...
My Parents Got Sick. It Changed How I Thought About My Marriage
In April of the pandemic, my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. It was not an optimal moment...
The Day His Journal Went Blank
Almost five years ago, when my father was 62, he learned he had Alzheimer’s disease. Over this...
How I met my mother: dementia brought back her true self
My father’s father talked to everyone, including the figurines on the sideboard, and he sometimes...
Isolation and ‘impossible choices’: When caregiving goes into lockdown
Even before the coronavirus, caregiving had become Sade Dozan’s every day. About a year and a half...
Visiting My Sick Mom Could Put Her Life at Greater Risk. But How Many More Times Will I Get to See Her?
I live on the East Coast; my mother lives on the West. Sometime in the next couple of weeks, I...
My 92-Year-Old Father Didn’t Need More Medical Care
My 92-year-old father fell one Saturday night a few months ago. My mother could not pick him up....
What Do I Owe My Severely Disabled Parents?
A little over two years ago, my family was involved in a catastrophic car accident overseas. My...
The girl I didn’t save
No one ever uses the word dying, even if it’s the correct word to use. We think this denial of the...
What Happens When a Woman Has to Be Everything to Everyone
Lately, I’ve taken to saying that my goal is to luxuriate in the sweet interludes between moments...
I was my dad’s caregiver through his fatal illness. I had no idea I’d be at risk for PTSD.
I was 32 and living in Los Angeles when I became my father’s caregiver, following his diagnosis of...
The Comforting Fictions of Dementia Care
When do we owe people the full truth about their lives? What happens when people cannot understand...
Building a Long-Distance Caregiving Network
One day, Shelly Beach received an alarming phone call from a member of a group that dined out with...