Caregiving

My friend Teepa Snow, a colleague on the Dementia Action Alliance, is one of my guests on the Caregiver Smile Summit. For that interview, we spoke about the pioneering work she is doing and its genesis. Read More

Being a family caregiver is becoming the norm for more and more Americans, with roughly 44 million people – and growing – providing care for a loved one in the U.S. Read More

No one chooses to make a move to memory care on a whim. It’s an emotionally bruising experience, often made when you’re most exhausted and vulnerable. Read More

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 15.7% of people 60 years and older are subjected to abuse. These are underestimates, of course, because most cases of elder abuse are not reported. Read More

What is a staycation and how can it make caregiving during the summer easier? Let me explain. Read More

When it comes to providing quality care for a beloved aging parent, many a lesson are learned ‘on the job.’

Recognizing signs of cognitive decline, learning how to manage incontinence, getting loved ones out and exercising – and essentially becoming executive administrators of prescription refills, appointment wrangling and transportation – are just a handful of tasks you may already be dealing with. Read More

Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy is known for her strength in the face of adversity, but few recognize that she was also a family caregiver. Rose’s first notable experience as a caregiver began when her daughter Rosemary Kennedy was diagnosed with an undetermined mental disability. Read More

There are 66 million family caregivers in the U.S. alone; 70% are female and 25% are Millennials. Caregivers suffer worsened health than non-caregivers and 40-60% report symptoms of depression. Some caregivers, like my sister, pre-decease the ones for whom they care. Read More

You may not think you’re susceptible to magical thinking, but don’t discount the possibility that it will make its presence felt when you least expect it. Read More

Nearly everyone knows someone affected by dementia. I’ve been exploring how faith communities can give practical support to people affected. Religious books such as the Bible and the Quran emphasise the importance of caring for the sick, the old, the frail and our parents. But people are not sure how to do that. Read More