August 11, 2023 by
It’s hard to predict how someone with dementia will behave from moment to moment. The disease can transform a person’s mood, personality, and behaviors in the blink of an eye. When you’re at home providing care for a person with dementia, these changes can be hard enough to manage. But what happens when you’re at a restaurant, grocery store, or hair salon? (more…)
August 3, 2023 by
It’s finally time for welcoming a new caregiver into Dad’s home! While this can be an exciting time, it can also bring feelings of uncertainty and anxiety. These feelings are typical and perfectly normal. A little advance planning and preparation for this important milestone will help ensure a comfortable and smooth transition for everyone. (more…)
July 19, 2023 by
Everyone remembers “the talk” with their parents. How could you forget? If you thought that was uncomfortable, brace yourself for “the talk” with an older parent about concerns you’re noticing and the need for care at home! Discussing home care options with your parents can be a tough conversation for many reasons: (more…)
July 12, 2023 by
It would be great if Alzheimer’s care came with a manual – a step-by-step guide on what to expect at each stage of the disease. While there are some general commonalities in the progression of dementia, each person’s experience is unique. So, it’s difficult to know what to prepare for on any given day. (more…)
July 5, 2023 by
Contrary to popular belief, PTSD doesn’t just occur after experiencing life-threatening danger. PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) can arise after any traumatic event or experience. It may surprise you to learn that providing care for a family member is one of the main causes of PTSD: a condition known as caregiver PTSD. However, it’s common for the condition to go unnoticed and untreated. This is because the person receiving care is usually the primary focus of both healthcare providers and the family at large. (more…)
June 20, 2023 by
Everyone knows the feeling of not being able to get out of bed in the morning. But for seniors with chronic fatigue, that feeling is intensified a hundred times over. As one chronic fatigue sufferer describes it, “I feel like I have a drained battery pretty much all of the time. It’s sort of like being a wrung-out dish rag.”
June 14, 2023 by
During COVID, isolation wasn’t just the norm. It was a necessity. Older adults were especially vulnerable, so extra precautions were taken to keep them safe. Solitary lifestyles adopted out of necessity became the new norm for a number of older adults who have yet to get back to senior socialization.
June 5, 2023 by
When providing help for seniors with dementia, it is important to keep in mind that you ARE capable, you ARE making a positive impact, and you ARE doing an excellent job! And while you are self-affirming, there are several additional “Rs” that can help both you and the person in your care; six of them, to be exact.
May 29, 2023 by
Losing a loved one is heart wrenching, and the last thing you want to do is complete a list of to-dos. The pain and loss alone are overwhelming enough. Taking the time to work through your grief is extremely important. Yet there are, unfortunately, a number of tasks that have to be taken care of at different intervals following the person’s passing.
May 15, 2023 by
You’ve been helping Mom since she was diagnosed with dementia. You have been working through a number of the challenging symptoms. Yet one day, she looks at you and calls you by a different name – that of her friend or cousin or younger brother. Do you correct her, reminding her that you are her son? Should you let it slide, pretending you didn’t notice the mistake? Or, should you just roll with it, accepting the new identity she has given you?