If you spend any time on social media, you have probably seen it — a well-meaning post, shared thousands of times, warning that caregivers are so depleted, so selflessly devoted, that they often die before the very people they are caring for. It is a striking claim.   Caregiving is hard. It is exhausting, isolating, […]

Living alone is a choice many of us treasure—the independence, the comfort of familiar surroundings, the dignity of managing our own daily rhythms. But what happens when dementia enters this picture?    As a geropsychologist who has worked with thousands of older adults navigating cognitive changes, I’ve witnessed both the profound challenges and the remarkable […]

When an older loved one completes alcohol detox and enters a medical rehab program, families often feel a swirl of emotions: relief, hope, fear, and sometimes overwhelm. You may find yourself asking: How do we best support them right now? What’s really causing their symptoms—withdrawal, depression, or dementia? How do we help them return to […]

According to a study by the CDC, chronic pain impacts over 16,386,000 older adults age 65-84 and an additional 2,596,000 MORE adults over the age of 85 (Dahlhamer et al, 2018).  If you read my post about chronic pain in older adults, you also know that chronic pain can have a negative impact on older […]

  How common is pain among people 65 and older? For better or for worse, most of us associate chronic pain with getting older. We assume that as we age, our bodies will naturally break down and that pain is “just part of getting older”.  According to a report put out by the CDC in […]

Have you been struggling to engage your sibling in your aging parent’s care? Perhaps you reach out and they don’t respond. Perhaps they refuse to help. In this article I answer a question from a caregiver on the issue of siblings refusing to help with aging parent’s care. You’ll learn The importance of family relationships […]

If you have an aging parent who is a primary caregiver it can be hard to know what to say and do. Caregivers, especially spouses, may be hesitant to ask for help or a break. They may think that this is part of the vow that they made, thru sickness and health. These 5 tips […]

Understanding the role transitions along the caregiver’s journey will help you to gain clarity with the common struggles and what you can do about them. Knowing that you’re not alone and having tools to manage challenges that may arise helps will help you along the caregiver’s journey and reduce stress and feelings of guilt and […]

Helping aging parents move into a senior living or assisted living environment can be overwhelming, and emotions can easily escalate. Here are 12 tips for managing those emotions during difficult conversations with elderly parents. 1. Expect that this will be emotional. Expect that this is going to be emotional. Know that it is reasonable that […]

Dear Dr. Koepp, My 85 year old dad is calling me multiple times a day. It’s interrupting my time at work. Sometimes he needs something. Sometimes, he just wants to check in. He has someone assisting him, but he’s always calling me. Can you address how to handle an elderly parent who is calling me […]

Have you helped your loved one move to a senior living or assisted living community only to find that in the midst of experiencing relief that your loved one is being cared for and is safe, you also have intense feelings of guilt and shame? You’re not alone. Many caregivers struggle with guilt and shame […]

There may come a time when you’re faced with the conversation of talking with your aging parents about moving into a senior living or assisted living community. Many people dread this conversation. Even simply starting the conversation can bring up all sorts of worry and feelings of guilt and shame. To help, I’ve created 6 […]