Caregiving Blog: Caring for Aging Parents
Welcome to the caregiving blog: caring for aging parents or yourself if you are the caregiver or an aging adult managing your health. Here, you will find helpful caring for aging parents blog articles, practical tips, and resources from caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson and the podcast transcripts from The Caring Generation® podcast. Pamela D Wilson exclusively writes all of the content in this blog based on more than 25 years of service to older adults and caregivers.
Can Two Siblings Have Power of Attorney for an Aging Parent?
Can two siblings have power of attorney for an elderly parent? Siblings sharing power of attorney or acting as co-agents under power of attorney for a parent is possible. Before accepting co-agent responsibility, you must know the duty you accept and confirm a...
How to Stop Caregiving From Consuming Your Life
The Caring Generation®—Episode 205, November 6, 2024. How can you stop caregiving from consuming your life? Are you emotionally and physically drained by care responsibilities? Are you stopped in your tracks by random events related to the care of an aging parent or caring for yourself? Learn tips, information, and examples to stop caregiving from taking over your life.
When Elderly Mother Lets Husband and His Family Take Over
An elderly parent who needs care can bring concerned adult children back together. But what happens when an elderly mother lets her second husband and his family take over her care and daily needs and limit involvement by biological children? Late-life changes in...
Power of Attorney for An Elderly Parent
Power of attorney for an elderly parent is a fiduciary responsibility to avoid conflicts of interest and manage family caregiver expectations. A POA for an elderly parent may find themselves in power struggles with siblings over decision-making for aging parents.
How to Initiate Goals of Care Discussions With Family
Initiating a goals of care discussion with family members or professionals ensures that your wishes for daily living and eventual care needs are planned and executed according to your wishes. While many adults set these conversations aside until a health diagnosis or...
Caregiver Abuse of Elderly | How Caregivers Become Suspects
The Caring Generation®—Episode 204, October 23, 2024. Abuse of the elderly happens within families and with friends who have good intentions. Learn how good intentions can lead to suspicions that result in problems with Adult Protective Services (APS) and the court system and what caregivers can do.
Is Your Sibling Manipulating Elderly Parents?
Are you concerned about a sibling manipulating elderly parents? Does your brother or sister live with or near your parents and have access to your parents' money or manage their medical care? If so, a sibling may exert undue influence over your parent's decisions or...
Experiences of Dementia Caregivers
The Caring Generation®—Episode 203, October 9, 2024. The experiences of dementia caregivers raise stress levels when considering the need to make difficult decisions. Dementia behaviors and hands-on care needs can negatively affect the health of dementia caregivers who can prioritize care for others over their own health and well-being.
Aging Parents and Adult Children | Health Legal and Money Conflict
The Caring Generation®—Episode 202, September 25, 2024. Aging parents and adult children experience health, legal, and money conflicts in caregiving relationships. Caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson shares examples to help you learn how to identify and navigate conflicts that might be difficult to predict.
Steps To Plan Through Unexpected Events
The Caring Generation®—Episode 201, September 11, 2024. Learn how to plan through unexpected events related to aging, health, and money with a proven process for success from caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson. Instead of struggling with uncertainty, create a path forward to find solutions to everyday and complex problems.
Elderly Health Routines: 10 Benefits of Healthy Aging Habits
The Caring Generation®—Episode 200, August 28, 2024. Elderly health routines support healthy aging habits. By monitoring daily activities, you can create a healthy lifestyle that allows you to do more of what matters to you.
How to Notice When the Health of Aging Parents is Going Downhill
The Caring Generation®—Episode 199, August 14, 2024. Caregivers ask how to recognize when the health of aging parents is going downhill because they want to go on with their lives. While early health problems can be manageable identifying warning signs of health...
How to Estimate Care Will Progress | Caring for Elderly Parents
The Caring Generation®—Episode 198, July 31, 2024. Caregivers can be swept up in a whirlwind of constant worry or negative thoughts about how to estimate how care will progress when caring for elderly parents, spouses, or loved ones. Caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson...
Family Dynamics: How to Balance Aging Parent Needs
The Caring Generation®— Year 6, Episode 197, July 17, 2024. Family dynamics related to the care of aging parents can be challenging for caregivers. Caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson offers tips for how to communicate with family to minimize uncomfortable,...
Are You a Caregiver Missing Out on Life’s Opportunities?
The Caring Generation®—Episode 196, July 3, 2024. Are you a caregiver missing out? Do weekends and holidays bring up feelings of being left out of gatherings and activities? Do you watch others enjoy their lives while stuck at home caring for elderly parents or unable...
Out of Control Caregiving Situation? Find Tips to Manage
The Caring Generation®—Episode 195, June 19, 2024. When trying to keep elderly parents at home becomes chaotic, caregivers can feel like they are dealing with a hot mess. Learn tips to manage out-of-control caregiving situations and why choosing how you want to live...
Navigating Health Complications of Aging
The Caring Generation®—Episode 194, June 5, 2024. Navigating the health complications of aging is a skill anyone can learn to receive good care from healthcare systems and doctors. Caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson shares tips all caregivers and patients must know...
How to Manage Elderly Parent Healthcare Disasters
The Caring Generation®—Episode 193, May 22, 2024. Elderly parent healthcare disasters often happen unexpectedly. High levels of caregiver stress result from managing falls, fractures, memory loss and other health conditions that are affected by various factors. Caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson shares strategies to get ahead of health issues before they get ahead of you and your loved ones.
Care for Elderly Parent Online Family Caregiver Support
Elderly parent online family caregiver support helps manage stress and anxiety. Navigating care for aging parents can seem daunting, filled with uncertainties, challenges, and unanticipated risks. It can be comforting to have access to a caregiving expert by telephone...
Caregiving: How to Rise Above Judgmental People
The Caring Generation®—Episode 192, May 8, 2024. Learn how to rise above the actions and words of judgmental people and stop being hard on yourself as a caregiver or person with health concerns. Caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson shares tips to help you identify and...
Actions to Take to Cope With Caregiver and Patient Breakdowns
The Caring Generation®—Episode 191, April 24, 2024. Caregiver and patient breakdowns can be physical and emotional. Anxiety, fear, and worry often complicate relationships and the ability to heal. Learn tips from caregiving Pamela D Wilson about creating balance in...
How to Avoid Caregiver and Patient Regrets About Medical Decisions
The Caring Generation®—Episode 190, April 10, 2024. Patients and their caregivers are often faced with making life-or-death decisions. What are the differences between individuals who make good decisions and others who experience decision regret? Understanding...
Habits of People Who Age Well
The Caring Generation®—Episode 189, March 27, 2024. Do you know the habits of people who age well? Learn tips to live a better life as you grow older. Whether you are a caregiver or a person with health concerns, it's never too late to embrace positive habits and live...
Working With Medical Providers: Tips to Receive Good Care
The Caring Generation® - Episode 188, March 13, 2024. What caregivers should know about working with medical providers extends beyond the basic knowledge of the person who needs care. Caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson offers insights into the healthcare system to help...
Dealing With Grief and Loss
The Caring Generation® - Episode 187, February 28, 2024. Dealing with grief and loss is a lifelong experience that may not be recognized until the loss of an aging parent or family member. Learn how to deal with feelings of grief that result from loss and the...
How to Find the Discipline to Move Ahead
The Caring Generation® - Episode 186, February 14, 2024. Finding the discipline to move ahead from drama and trauma can be challenging in any stage of caregiving—beginning to end. Caregivers who feel stuck often lack a plan and the motivation to change. Find tips for...
Why Sibling Agreements Are Beneficial When Caring for Elderly Parents
The Caring Generation® - Episode 185, January 31, 2024. Sibling agreements can be critical for the care of elderly parents when disagreements exist in families. Learn about personalities and behavioral styles to learn how to work with others in your family, whether...
Why Managing Fears is Essential When Caring for Aging Parents
The Caring Generation® - Episode 184, January 17, 2024. Learn why managing fears is essential when caring for aging parents who experience ongoing health challenges. Caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson shares seven tips to help caregivers remain positive when performing...
Why Self-Care Is Important Regardless of Age
The Caring Generation® - Episode 183, December 27, 2023. Health impacts many aspects of life. Learn the importance of self-care to support physical and mental resilience regardless of age. Caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson shares how self-care can improve your quality...
Caregiving in Times of Crises
The Caring Generation® - Episode 182, December 13, 2022. Are you caregiving in times of crises? Have you become the emergency responder for a loved one in your family? Constantly responding to care needs can place caregivers in an ongoing state of crises management...
Balance Increasing Family Care Responsibilities and Career
The Caring Generation® - Episode 181, November 29, 2023. It's no secret that caregiving is work. Learn practical skills and ten tips to balance increasing family care responsibilities and career from caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson. This week's episode of The Caring...
Caregiver Tips to Manage What Life Throws at You
The Caring Generation® - Episode 180, November 15, 2023. Caregivers multi-task and have to-do lists that are rarely completed. Responsibilities continue to grow and consume other areas of a caregiver's life. Pamela D Wilson, caregiving expert, shares how to manage...
Caregivers: How to Stop Avoiding and Start Living
The Caring Generation® – Episode 179, November 1, 2023 Caregivers often find themselves in a wait-and-see pattern that can last for years. Learn how to stop avoiding and start living life. Caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson shares how your environment shapes thoughts about who you are and what you can accomplish if you have goals and dreams.
Why Elder Care and Medicare Is More Expensive Than You Think
The Caring Generation® Episode 178, October 18, 2023. If you are over age 65 or a caregiver, you may learn that your Medicare Plan choices can be more expensive than you think because of long-term impacts on your life you may not know about after retirement. The...
Will State Efforts to Support Older Adults and Caregivers Succeed
Will state efforts to support older adults and their caregivers succeed? Understanding the complexity of healthcare systems and that navigating care is difficult for the average person may not be easy to understand if you are not in this situation. Will State Efforts...
Caregivers: If You Don’t Have a Caregiving Plan You Won’t Have a Life
The Caring Generation® - Episode 177, October 4, 2023. You may not have a life if you are a caregiver and don't have a caregiving plan. Learn the risks caregivers face when priorities shift to caring for aging parents to the exclusion of everything else. Gain insights...
Caregiving: How to Know When You Can’t Do It Anymore
The Caring Generation® - Episode 176, September 20, 2023. Knowing when you can't do it anymore is a crossroads moment in caregiving. When you do more of what you don't want, envy happy people, feel unappreciated, and forget you have choices, it might be time for a...
Caregiving: Why is Medicaid So Difficult to Understand?
The Caring Generation® - Episode 175, September 6, 2023, Why is Medicaid So Difficult to Understand? If you are in a caregiving relationship you may be struggling with the financial aspects of a spouse’s or elderly parent’s care. Pamela D. Wilson, caregiving expert,...
How Caregivers Lose Sight of What Is Important
The Caring Generation® – Episode 174 August 24, 2023. As a caregiver, it is important to not lose sight of what makes you happy. Caregiver self-sacrifice means less focus on relationships and more focus on tasks and busy work. Involvement with healthcare systems can also be stressful and frustrating. Caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson shares tips about the importance of maintaining relationships and advocating for care needs.
Are Caregivers Brainwashed? | Society, Culture, Family Expectations
The Caring Generation® – Episode 173 August 9, 2023. Are caregivers brainwashed? Do caregivers focus on doing things for aging parents or spouses due to societal, cultural, family, or groupthink? In this episode, caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson shares insights into why caregivers feel powerless over situations that seem out of their control.
Doing the Best You Can To Care for Aging Parents
The Caring Generation® – Episode 172, July 26, 2023. Being a caregiver is hard. Doing the best you can with the resources and time you have to care for aging parents may feel like it’s never enough. Caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson shares examples of caregiving challenges and offers a resource to help with care and decision-making.
10 Things That Don’t Make Sense to Caregivers
The Caring Generation® - Episode 171 July 12, 2023. Learn ten things that don't make sense to caregivers that may help you avoid unpredictable problems. Revisit things you may have heard but were not important at the time so that you can move ahead one day at a time...
Too Many Responsibilities: How Caregivers Can Create a New Identity
The Caring Generation® - Episode 170 June 28, 2023. Caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson discusses caregivers who have too many responsibilities. Learn what to do when losing a sense of identity or feeling super-vigilant or hyper-responsible for caring for aging loved...
Why Do Simple Things Become Difficult For Persons With Dementia?
The Caring Generation® - Episode 169 June 14, 2023. Why do persons with dementia lose their ability to perform everyday tasks? Family caregivers become frustrated with elderly parents or spouses who struggle with activities they once did routinely. Learn how to be a...
Caregiving: How to Hold Onto the Good Things
The Caring Generation® – Episode 168 May 31, 2023. The act of caregiving for loved ones can seem like a never-ending job. Caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson shares thoughts about how family caregivers can hold onto the good things in life while creating more things to be happy about.
How Does Caregiving Affect Family Relationships?
The Caring Generation® – Episode 167 May 17, 2023. How does caregiving affect family relationships? Becoming a caregiver can upend life. Learn why setting expectations and having heart-to-heart conversations are essential from caregiving expert Pamela D Wilson.
Caregiver Tips for Barely Getting By
The Caring Generation® – Episode 166 May 3, 2023. Are you barely getting by? Find tips from caregiver expert Pamela D Wilson to keep going when you can’t see how to move forward through challenging caregiving relationships to to where you want your life to be.
Creating the Life You Want
The Caring Generation® - Episode 165 April 19, 2023. Creating the life you want can mean building inner strength if you are a caregiver. Are family members who don't contribute to caring for loved ones transferring their guilt to you? Become clear about what you want...
How to Stop Being Influenced By Others
The Caring Generation® – Episode 164 April 5, 2023. Are family caregivers more easily influenced by others due to high-stress levels? If you are a caregiver, do you ever wonder how to stop being influenced so you can make your own decisions and live your life?
How to Stop Feeling Distracted and Overwhelmed
The Caring Generation® – Episode 163 March 22, 2023. How to stop feeling distracted and overwhelmed in everyday life or when unexpected events derail your day. Caregivers have an unending list of to-dos for other people, which often means their needs go unmet. Pamela D Wilson, caregiving expert, shares how to reset and regain focus to take back your day.
