Sharon is a caregiver for her mother, Deedee, who is 81 years old and lives with dementia. Similar to many caregivers, Sharon balances the increasing caregiving needs of her mother with her other commitments, including her job. By … [Read more...]
The Healing Power of Communication
Jay Monahan was married to award-winning journalist, Katie Couric, for nearly 10 years and they had two daughters together. He died in 1998 at age 42 of colon cancer and, sadly, Katie’s sister, a Virginia state senator, also died … [Read more...]
Do You Know Your Rights as a Caregiver?
Meryl cares for her mother, who is suffering from dementia. She works part-time in her home as a medical transcriptionist and also cares for her three children. With all that she has to do on a daily basis, Meryl rarely, if ever, … [Read more...]
Being Shamed for Your Nursing Home Decision
This past weekend, Kathryn hosted a graduation party for her daughter and was excited to spend time with the family and friends that came to celebrate. For the past few years, she hadn’t had much time to visit with friends or … [Read more...]
When Caregiving Turns into Self Neglect
Q. I am concerned about my mother, Sharon. She is a caregiver for my 92-year-old grandmother, who lives with her and my father, who is not in the best of health himself. I saw my mother the other day when I stopped by for a visit. … [Read more...]
Critter Corner: Do Caregivers Have a Higher Life-Expectancy?
Dear Magic, I read somewhere that caregivers have a higher life-expectancy than non-caregivers. With all of the stress that goes into caregiving, how can this be true? Thanks for your help! Liv Longer --- Dear … [Read more...]
More Untrained Caregivers Performing Medical Tasks
At 49 years old, Emily is an accomplished accountant. She worked her way up in a prominent firm, but recently took a leave of absence to care for her father, Sid. She is married to her college sweetheart but doesn’t have any … [Read more...]
When Your Adult Child Distances Themselves
Carla, age 38, is a helpful and caring adult daughter. She lives five miles from her parents and assists her mother with caregiving for her father, who suffers from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. She scaled back her hours at … [Read more...]
Can Caregiving Lead to PTSD?
Q. I was a caregiver for my father-in-law two decades ago, and I experienced a terrible scare. I took him into my home when he developed fronto-temporal dementia and he lived with my family. He would get angry at me a lot and … [Read more...]
I’m Finally Taking a Vacation — What to Do About Caregiving Duties
Caroline's sister and her family live in sunny Tampa, Florida. She's been wanting to visit for three years now, ever since her sister's family bought their house near the beach. But it has been tough to get away, since Caroline is … [Read more...]