Minding Our Elders - A voice for caregivers | Blog on eldercare and aging

Minding Our Elders Blog

Geriatric Care Managers Can Help Busy Caregivers

Geriatric care management is a rapidly growing field in the elder care industry. As most caregivers know, researching and coordinating all the care options...

Thsi summery photo shows a garden and fence in the background. In the foreground, we see a blue and white picnic cloth over an outdoor table. Four people are enjoying a meal. Ther's an older coupld with gray hair and a younber couple with brown hair. They are obviously enjoying themselves.

Reframing How We View Conflicts with Older Parents Can Maintain Harmony

Dear Carol: My parents are entering their 80s. While they seem cognitively sound, they have physical challenges that will progress. I’ll help them out...

We view a nice interior of a sitting room. IN one corner is a blue print wing chair with a gold throw pillow. on the side is a round glass lamp table with a white reading lamp. Nex to that is a white couch. We see just on end that holds a red and a gold throw pillow. In front of that is a glass topped coffee table. There is whte lattice work wood behind.

Choosing Senior Housing and Care Based on Your Parent’s Needs

As our population ages and more of our national focus is on senior care, we can find ourselves in a muddle over confusing choices....

This outdoor image shows the back o a truck bed being loaded with cardboard boxes. Four people are working. They appear to be young and agile. All wearing casual clothing.

Specialized Moving Services Ease Transitions to Senior Living Communities

When an elderly parent transitions from their home to assisted living, independent living, a nursing home or a relative’s home, it can be a...

This indoor image shows and older couple, likely grandparents, holding small children. The man has graying hair, wire-reimmed glasses, and wears a pink shirt. He holds an infant about about a year old wearing a blue and red plaid garment and a white gow in the hair. The woman reaches her hand out to the infamt, but we see just part of the arm of an older child who sites on her hap. The child wears a light blue top with dark blue around the collar. The woman has gray hair and glasses, and she wears a burgundy long-sleeved sweater. All have light skin.

Is It Wise for Your Aging Parent to Move in with You?

Decades ago, it was fairly common to have grandparents living with family and it often worked well. It did for my family. My parents...

A tall painter's ladder rests agaist a wall that's been torn open to show the backing. The viewer sees unfinished patched plaster or drywall on the side.

Safety Vs. Autonomy in Aging

A recent question on the AgingCare Caregiver Forum brought back memories from my early days of caregiving. The member wrote, “My 81-year-old father still...

This image has a dark, indoor background. In the foreground, we see a woman with thick, iron gray hair, some standing up oddly. She has brown skin, dark eyes, and is staring off to the side with a frown on her face. She wears a black garment.

Should Your Parent Risk an Anesthesia Disaster or Forego Surgery?

Note: The study referred to here is older because this is an older article. However, the message of the article to use caution when...

This image shows an extreme closeup of an older woman's face. She has light skin, blue yes staring directly ahead, with a small amount of gray hair showing on one side. We see some mottling, age spots and wrinkles on her agng skin.

Elders Who Abuse Their Family Caregivers

Most of us have seen evidence of people being harder on those they love than they are on strangers, or even people they don’t...

Thei indoor image shows an older man sitting at a table using a laptop. He has a brown coffee cup near one hand. The man is bald, wears glasses, and is wearing a dark blue button-up, long0sleeved shirt. He looks engrossed in what he sees on the screen.

Parent’s Death Left Family Unable to Access Vital Online Accounts

Dear Carol: I rarely see this problem addressed. My dad, a widower, was in excellent health for someone in their 70s. He was fully...

This sepia-toned image shows an older could with content smiles since they have their arms around each other. We see the woman's profle as she looks off to the side. She has short, older fashioned brownish hair and is wearing a dark, formal wrap with a high, standing collar. The man has his hand on her shoulder and he looks out over her head. He's got receding gray hair and is wearing a dress suit with a white shirt and dark tie. Both have light skin.

Coping when Both Parents Have Dementia

“My mom and dad both have dementia. I am all alone taking care of them since. I have no one to help me. I...

This indoor image shows a large white interior with a windowed exterior door. Several couches and other comfortable seating is visible as is a turquoise area rug. in the distance, we see a dining room and another room beyond that.

The Emotional Toll of Moving Your Elderly Parent to Senior Living

Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home. For most of us, the feeling is less about how large or fancy a...