Dear SL: You’re smart to have recognized that counseling could help you cope with the effects of your childhood. It’s obvious, too, that you’re kind since you want to see your dad well cared for even under these difficult circumstances. He’s fortunate... Read more →

Dear GK: You’re both right in your own way, which is often the case in caregiving. Long-time readers will notice that this is a frequently asked question and that’s because there’s no concrete answer. Your dad sounds as if he’s doing well for now Read more →

However, if mom is showing signs of needing assistance with her meals and transportation, I'd recommend looking around at assisted living facilities. Assisted living does not generally offer nursing care, and if help with dressing and other activities of daily living (ADLs) are needed, she'd likely still have... Read more →

All too often the words "dementia" and "Alzheimer's" are used interchangeably, so it's important to know that Alzheimer's is just one type of dementia, though it's thought to be the most common type. Dementia means the loss... Read more →

If other family members have decided that they do not wish to participate in the elder’s care, it complicates things further. There is a great deal of pressure on one primary caregiver... Read more →

‘an unknown number of adults languish under guardianship’ when they no longer need it, or never did. The authors wrote that ‘guardianship is generally permanent, leaving no way out—until death do us part... Read more →

Family caregiving is more of an art than a science. Most people who take on the challenge of family caregiving do the best that they can under their unique circumstances, yet, they often receive criticism, sadly even from other caregivers. How can family caregivers who are already doing so much for their loved one(s) weather criticism from outsiders about how they provide care? Read more →

The combination of chronic pain and dementia is difficult to manage. While advancing dementia can render an elder heartbreakingly vulnerable, chronic pain that can't be expressed in words by the person with dementia multiplies the difficulty of compassionate care. Since dementia can leave people unable to verbally express the fact that they are in pain, they may scream, kick or hit. Read more →

New rules for the protection of nursing home residents have been implemented as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Many of these rules provide answers to concerns that have troubled families with loved ones living in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), generally called nursing homes. I emailed Medicare expert Ginalisa Monterroso for an update on these rules and what they mean for nursing home residents and their families. Read more →

While we like to think that most seniors have family members or at least lifelong friends to help them through their last years, many don’t. The term elder orphan is often used to describe these older Americans. While many have planned for this time in their lives by hiring attorneys to oversee the legal issues surrounding their potential need for care, others may not have been so wise. These seniors could be a prime target for a guardianship company that can swoop in and—legally—take over their lives, including their finances. Read more →