The Care Guide

Honest, useful writing on senior care.

Dementia care education, hospice and senior care information, activity ideas, leadership insight, real stories, encouragement, humor, and honest conversations about caregiving and healthcare.

A performer singing, from the story She Never Made It to Graceland
A Real Story

She Never Made It to Graceland

A musician's story about showing up with music in someone's final moments, and what it taught Leah about what comfort can look like.

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An elderly woman smiling next to a chocolate lab therapy dog
A Real Story

Sadie, Maddie, and the Gift of Pet Therapy

Six years of bringing comfort through pet therapy, from Maddie's first visits to Sadie carrying it forward today.

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A watercolor coat made of patchwork portraits of senior residents

A Coat of Many Colors

Every resident added a different patch to who I am today, a reflection on connection in long-term care.

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A cozy desk scene from It's Not Always a Simple No

Can Nursing Home Residents Refuse Care?

Yes, in many situations they can. Here's what that right looks like in practice, and what families should know.

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An empty resident council meeting room

Resident Council Matters More Than People Realize

It's one of the few places residents can say, honestly, what life feels like where they live.

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An older woman who may not be able to hear the conversation nearby

What If They Just Can't Hear?

Before assuming a quieter resident is declining, it's worth asking a simpler question first.

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A clipboard reading Resident Rights

What Is an Ombudsman?

Many families don't know one exists until something has gone wrong. Here's what one actually does.

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A POEM

Red Bird

A poem in memory of the residents who leave pieces of themselves with the people who care for them.

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A POEM

A Quiet Walk Down the Hall

A quiet reflection on walking familiar halls after so many of the people who filled them are gone.

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Coming Soon

What I'll be writing about

REFUSALS

Why Residents Refuse Activities

What's really going on when someone says no, and how to respond with curiosity instead of pressure.

Coming Soon
VISITS

How to Visit Someone With Dementia

Simple ways to make visits feel good for both of you, even when memory has changed.

Coming Soon
PROGRAMS

What Families Should Know About Activity Programs

Questions to ask, and what great programming actually looks like from the inside.

Coming Soon
IDENTITY

Supporting Identity & Purpose in Long-Term Care

Why who someone was still matters, long after a move into care.

Coming Soon