As a newspaper columnist and forum moderator dedicated to caregiver support and aging issues, I often hear complaints from well spouses caring for their mate. These folks want to know why most of the support online, and many of the in-person support groups, are dominated by the adult children caregivers. These complaints are well-founded. Read more →

One question I'm often asked is how to get an elder to bathe or wear clean clothes. There are many reasons for this behavior, some easier to cope with than others. Read more →

Weight gain is something that is a common complaint among caregivers. Boredom, frustration, guilt, stress - there are many reasons we humans are prone to unhealthy eating, which can also mean over eating. Whether the caregiver is at home with their care receiver, or stressed from running from work and/or home to care for their loved one in another setting, comfort food can be one way to deal with the stress. Read more →

Dear Carol: Dad has dementia and has declined rapidly during the last few years. I feel he should be in assisted living for care, but mom refuses to move with him. They are the same age, but Mom is as active as a 50-year-old and quite vain about it. Recently, she told us that she hasn’t really loved Dad for a long time, and that she won’t move to assisted living with him Read more →

Caregivers don't get nearly enough help, whether it's respite care so they can get a break. or financial help for their elder. Yet there are some funds available for these purposes. We need to do our research to make sure we don't miss available help or benefits. Read more →

An Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis needs people to participate in a study. If you care for someone with Alzheimer's, you may want to check this out. The flyer states that you will get a $10 gift certificate for taking the survey. The survey is titled, The Perception of Alzheimer’s Caregivers about Monitoring Alert Interventions. Read more →

One of the most agonizing decisions families face can be whether or not to request or approve of a feeding tube for a loved one who is near death. Are we “playing God” by denying tube feeding to our dying loved one as long as he or she can be kept comfortable, or are we “playing God” by requesting tube feeding, with or without medical agreement? Read more →

As a newspaper columnist and forum moderator dedicated to caregiver support and aging issues, I often hear complaints from well spouses caring for their mate. These folks want to know why most of the online support, and many of the in-person support groups, are dominated by the adult children caregivers. These complaints are well-founded. Read more →

Families get outside help for their loved ones for many reasons. Sometimes, they need regular breaks as they are the only person providing care, so they hire in-home agencies or adult day care agencies. Sometimes loved ones move to assisted living or a nursing home. Whatever type of extra help caregivers employ, they want the best for their loved one Read more →

Nursing homes are now coping with a kind of culture clash. Many of their residents are what researchers call the very old," people 85-years-old and above. However, many of their residents are in their 50s, 60s and 70s for varying reasons from multiple sclerosis to early on-set Alzheimer's disease. Read more →