Dear KB: You and other caregivers are facing impossible choices, now, and it’s a heartbreaking situation with no clear answers. You recognize that someone like your mom shouldn’t be alone, but every choice you look at is risky. It’s not enough Read more →

Dear GT: This is a challenging spot for an older person to be in but choices like this might be even tougher for adult children to come to terms with. The fact is, while you and your siblings want the best for your dad, what “best” means for your dad is up to him. Read more →

Dear GT: Letters like yours remind me daily of the heartbreak that caregivers and the people they love are facing now because of COVID-19. Sadly, it could still take some time before all facilities can safely allow people from the outside. Read more →

Dear OT: Caregiving from a distance has always been a challenge but like everything related to caregiving, it’s now even harder. Getting the help that is needed for older adults at home could remain spotty for some time, depending on people’s locations and the amount of COVID-19 infection present in that locale, but there is hope. Read more →

Dear Scared: This must be not only distressing for you but as your signature tells us, scary. I’m so sorry that you’re going through such a hard time. Your Dad's behavior change could stem from any number of things, but they will all need medical intervention Read more →

Dear MH: I can only imagine your worry about how your mom’s care is going. Even without this lockdown preventing visitors and the very real threat of a COVID outbreak in care facilities caregivers have always worried if their loved one is receiving hands-on care that works with their unique needs. Read more →

The terms home care and in-home care are used to describe different types of services provided in the home. Additionally, state regulation and licensing entities follow certain definitions for care provided in the home and these definitions can vary from state to state. Read more →

Insisting you are right because, well, you know better. You don’t have dementia. People living with dementia (PLWD) have an increasingly limited ability to understand the world as we see it. Therefore, we need to learn to see the world from their view. Read more →

Dear Resentful Wife: My condolences about the tough patch you and your husband are going through. From reading your last sentence, I’ve gathered that you know that parental caregiving can present considerable challenges to many marriages. Still, that offers little comfort to you. Read more →

Dear PR: Your parents aren’t alone in coming to a sudden recognition about the need for having the right documents in place for this extraordinary time. They may have refused in the past, fearing as many do that acknowledging Read more →