Relationships
Understanding how relationships change as your parents age and how you can manage the challenges that arise
Enjoying nature and the outdoors with a family member with dementia
Being out in nature and sharing activity outside is something which brings immediate benefits to people living with dementia and we believe is a crucial part of “living well”. The outdoors is the original multi-sensory environment and we don’t need to be taught or learn how to connect with it. It is free and on […]
Read moreTips for caring from a distance
Helping parents who don’t live just round the corner is more complicated, but there are many things that we can do to ease their situation. Sally offers some tips gleaned from her experience of supporting a mother with physical needs and a father with mental challenges, both at the same time. It is possible to […]
Read moreHow do you view ageing?
Written by Kathy Lawrence It’s worth examining our assumptions about the process of getting old to see if they’re more negative that we’d like to think. How do you view the process of ageing? Maybe trying to support your parents to be independent on the one hand, but not actually trusting them to look after […]
Read moreDignity in dying and care for the living
Campaigner Amanda Waring explains why approaches to dignity in dying need to change in the UK, and offers some tips for caring for the living. Renowned filmmaker, comedian and actress Amanda Waring is a staunch campaigner for dignity in dying, after experiencing what she describes as the horrendous end-of-life care received by her mother, actress […]
Read moreVisiting grandparents in their new care home
If your parent has moved into a care home, should you take your children to visit? And if you do, how do you prepare them for the change in environment? In an ideal world your children will find that their grandparent has simply moved home. That they’re much the same as they ever were, but […]
Read moreWhat does the increase in silver divorces mean for adult children?
More people than ever are getting divorced in their pension years and many are remarrying. Is this cause for concern for the children? What do those divorcing and remarrying need to do to avoid acrimony in the family? We asked family solicitor Amanda Phillips and divorce consultant Rhiannon Ford for advice. “We’re getting divorced”. Not […]
Read moreRespecting my parents’ wishes
This week’s storyteller is Clare Tanner. Clare was taken by surprise when her aunt told her that her mum was having heart surgery. She had no idea and she told us about her initial reactions in her story here. Now she explains the changes her and her mum have made in their relationship to foster […]
Read moreCaring for a disabled mother-in-law
Caron Sprake, author of eldercare blog Caron Cares, shares how she cared for her disabled mother-in-law whilst juggling family responsibilities. When I said “I do” I acquired not only a husband but a disabled mother-in-law as well. After leaving my training as a student nurse because of back trouble I became a carer which helped […]
Read moreCaring for a mother-in-law with cancer
Adrienne Gruberg, founder of The Caregiver Space, shares how she adjusted family life to care for a mother-in-law with Lymphoma whilst her own husband battled lung cancer. My mother-in-law, Sylvia – all four-feet-ten inches of her – was a spitfire of a lady! At eighty-nine, she was one of the most resilient people I had […]
Read moreWalking the hospital corridors in dad’s shoes
This week’s storyteller has chosen to be anonymous.Our storyteller talks about their experience of life as a hospital in-patient and shares how they came to appreciate their dad’s perspective after seeing behind the curtain of NHS patient care. I’m not normally a hospital patient. I do spend a great deal of time as a visitor […]
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