Over 75% of adults with developmental disabilities live at home with family. There is a growing population of aging caregivers of adults with developmental disabilities, in part due to increased lifespan and extensive waiting lists for residential services (The Arc Autism Now). In honor of…

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…

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…

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…

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?…

We’ve all heard stories of older adults on lock down in their long-term care community. Maybe you’ve even seen the images of family members visiting their loved ones separated by windows or glass.  Like a granddaughter sharing her engagement ring, a son sitting outside talking…

I hear from caregivers pretty regularly that”nobody really understands how hard caring for a loved one with dementia is!” So, I decided to share some facts about dementia caregivers in the hopes that it will provide some understanding and support for the dementia caregiver’s journey!…

If you’re caring for an older adult and you’ve had to change your routine in the last few weeks with senior centers, doctors’ offices, and adult day programs closing due to COVID-19, you might find yourself experiencing more caregiver stress and burnout.   Last week,…

With the Coronavirus affecting adults over 60 at greater levels than other age groups, many older adults are electing to “self-isolate” or are actually on “lock down” at long-term care or skilled nursing communities.    Social distancing and protecting the most “at risk” populations (i.e.,…

  Driving is so important to older adults. It helps them to stay socially connected, helps them to experience independence, it reduces risk of depression and isolation, and so much more.   There are so many good reasons that older adults want to drive for…

  Raise your hand if you’ve heard the term Activities of Daily Living, otherwise known as ADLs! Now, raise your hand if you’ve heard of term Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, also known as IADLs!    Your hand is probably down. And that’s okay! At the end of this…

Imagine you live in DC and your aging parent lives alone in Michigan and needs support and resources. You’ve been to visit your parent a few times to help get them set up with services, but you’re finding it more and more difficult to take…