It makes sense that she wants to take charge of her own future so she can determine how much more she wants to continue to fight for what sounds like a decreasing quality of life. Your mom’s correct in that a do not resuscitate order is not always enough when it comes to end-of-life Read more →

Dear DE: I’m glad that your parents are doing well. Contrary to popular opinion, many people in their 80s are capable of handling their own lives with little assistance. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t experiencing ... Read more →

Dear LS: First, let me say that I’m deeply sorry that your childhood was so hard. You aren’t alone with this kind of pain, but that doesn’t make the fact that you never had the protection that a child deserves any easier. Read more →

Dear YT: I’m sorry about your mother’s poor health. She’s obviously a fighter to have survived so much. It makes sense that she wants to take charge of her own future so she can determine how much more she wants to continue to fight for what sounds... Read more →

We both wonder what else can be done to assure her that she won’t receive a feeding tube in particular or other extreme measures. She can’t relax until she knows that she’s done everything to make sure that this doesn’t happen. – YT Read more →

The people we love and care for often reach a point where we can no longer be sole care providers and we need to look at options. This is painful because up to this point we’ve likely been partners in their care Read more →

Dear Carol: My 93-year-old mother lives alone with significant help from my youngest sister and me but her worsening cognitive ability is dictating changes. We found an assisted living facility (ALF) with memory care near our brother’s home, which is one county over, Read more →

...Thankfully, during this past decade, because of technology along with other awareness efforts, caregiver support has exploded with resources and professional help. Still, caregivers long to connect personally with each other and share, on an intimate level, what they’ve learned. The stories below are examples of that sharing spirit. Caregiving will change your life both positively and negatively, but these caregivers make it clear that you don’t have to go through it alone. Read more →

...But most people wait until they're well into middle age before taking care of this important legal work. For those who die young, or are disabled because of an unexpected event such as a car accident or ill-fated dive into an unfamiliar lake, it’s too late. Their families may have to fight in the courts and in hospital wards in order to carry through with the decisions that they believe this young person would have wanted them to make. Read more →

As you watch your parents or other beloved elders age, sometimes worry becomes inevitable. Should they have housing upgrades? Can they continue to live independently? Your intention isn’t to take over their lives, but you may genuinely want to start the conversation about possible future changes. How do you do this without causing a backlash? Read more →