According to a 2015 AARP report, 32.4 million Americans are unpaid caregivers. And nearly half of those were caring for an aging parent. Helping out aging parents can affect families in different ways. It can become stressful and emotional. Sibling relationships can be complicated. Then when caring for aging parents becomes part of the dynamic, tensions can run high. It can tear families apart as we have unfortunately witnessed. But [...]
Greg O'Brien is 60 years old. And he has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. Greg was once an accomplished journalist. He valued his intellect and knowledge more than anything. Therefore, he intends to remain a journalist as long as he can. In pursuit of this goal, he has created a short documentary, called A Place Called Pluto. In sharing his journey, he hopes to leave his family with something. As [...]
In 1950, you had a one in thirty chance of becoming a family caregiver. However, these days there is a one in three chance. The challenges of being a family caregiver often stem from a lack of support and preparation for caregiving tasks. Tasks that once were solely performed by medical professionals are now being done by family members. Furthermore, usually with little to no prior experience. They are managing [...]
Your house contains so many objects collected throughout the years. Most of these objects tell a story or remind you of different memories in your life. Your kids don't necessarily want these objects when you begin to downsize. They hold meaning for you. But most grown children won't want your downsizing if it means they're upsizing.
Maintaining the relationship with your adult children may put you out of your comfort zone. Parents do not intentionally try to frustrate or annoy their adult children. They love them. But love makes us do strange things sometimes. This could be in the form of too much "constructive criticism" or an excess of emails and phone calls. Or it could be just trying to control things. Regardless of how you [...]
Imagine being a caregiver not only for your own children, but for your aging parents as well. You probably wouldn't feel like you have much time for your relationships, activities, and hobbies. In addition, self care and "me time" may seem like just an indulgence, rather than a necessity. However, many caregivers in the "sandwich generation" are living this type of lifestyle. The stress of caring for children and parents [...]
A lot of us think of our parents as capable and strong. We think of them as they once were when we were young. There are thousands of books, websites, and articles on helping your aging parents. But there are far fewer resources available to help you through the variety of emotions you're bound to experience as your parents age. As their health declines, baby boomers watch their parents and [...]
At the age of 79, Michael Brody was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Many people believe their life is over with this diagnosis. Yet with his life-long love of singing, what could be more appropriate than participating in the Giving Voice Chorus? Along with a total of 170 Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers, Michael and his wife join in singing and performing a variety of uplifting songs. For these patients and their [...]
When we hear the term "estate planning". Many of us think of getting our wills, trusts, and other documents in order. However, there is so much more to it than that. A huge part of helping your aging parents with estate planning is going through their possessions and downsizing. This can be a wonderful opportunity to preserve and understand parts of their lives that you may have never known about. [...]
For more than two years, Nancy Daly helped care for her mother with Alzheimer's. Daly flew regularly from her home in California to her mother in Maryland. Eventually her mother had no recognition of her daughter. A slew of thoughts and emotions ran through her during her time as a caregiver. "It was as if my entire childhood had been erased... but I had to grit my teeth and bare [...]
