Caregiving

On a recent long flight, I happened across a better than average film amongst the airline’s offerings. It gave me pause to consider how adamant I might be in making my wishes known about health care when I can no longer care for myself…

Are you worried about the safety of your elderly parents driving? It’s common for adult children to start worrying about an aging parent’s driving skills. It can, however, be tough to start that conversation. It’s a sensitive topic, especially for older adults…

Caregiving can often feel like a full-contact sport, and all too many caregivers find themselves under siege by other family members and even the ones to whom they provide care. This sense of attack drives caregivers either into despair or…

I spoke to Dr. Pamela Pitman Brown, a credentialed professional gerontologist and a fellow in the Academy of Gerontology, about the topic of inappropriate sexual behaviors displayed by a loved one in the throes of dementia…

Having a conversation about preparing for aging with mom or dad can be challenging. Heck, having them with a spouse is not a breeze either. Topics like finances, insurance, wills, estate planning, living situations, care and treatment plans…

Summer is here, so it’s time to get going in the garden and look forward to being outside more. As a dementia professor, I know how important gardens are for people with dementia. They offer health benefits that can reduce the symptoms…

Our memories mean so much to us. They provide us with a sense of self and stand as a reminder of the journey we have taken in this life. And the memories we share with the people closest to us become an intricate piece of our identity…

My mom died when I was 35 years old. She was only 58. She’s been gone a long time now and sadly, memories do have a way of fading. Here’s one memory I do have. And it comes to me whenever I hear a certain song. Let me explain…

“I’ve had my three score years and ten. I really can’t complain – all the rest is extra.” These are the words of my father a few years before he died. The number these days – probably even then – might not be exactly right when calculating the average…

Louisiana officials recently revoked the licenses of seven nursing homes that evacuated patients to a warehouse where seven of them died ahead of Hurricane Ida’s landfall. Hurricane Katrina should have been the warning shot when it…