It might have come altogether out of nowhere: an unanticipated fall that caused a fractured hip and the need for Mom to have assistance to stay at home. Or, it may have been building up over the years, such as through the incremental and slow progression of dementia. Regardless of the circumstances, you’ve now found […]
It’s easy to get swept up in the day-to-day tasks of caregiving for an older adult you love. There is so much to be done, and often it’s just much easier and a lot more efficient to do it all on your own, letting a senior loved one relax. After all, our elders have taken […]
Primary caregivers for those with Alzheimer's disease in many cases are all too acquainted with the difficulty experienced in trying to take a quiet moment or two alone – to use the restroom, get a brief shower, and even walk into another room. Shadowing and dementia sometimes go hand in hand, and shadowing usually takes […]
“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr. Seuss Memories are what bind together our past experiences with who we are today; and for an individual with dementia, confusion around these memories can have a profound impact. One of our goals in caring for seniors diagnosed […]
Although this season is typically viewed as the season of joy, for many older adults, holiday depression is an all too real experience, making the holidays a time of deep despair. Yearning for holidays past, grief over the loss of family and friends, and difficult changes to health can intensify through the holiday season, and […]
If you or a loved one are considering using a humidifier to treat COPD symptoms in seniors, it is important to learn about the risks and common safety precautions of using a humidifier. Air that is too dry, for example, may cause or exacerbate health problems such as: Itchy, dry, or chapped skin Nose bleeds […]
Family care providers give so much of themselves to attend to their loved ones, often surrendering their own desires and needs in the process. It seems normal to assume then that caretakers would feel good about themselves, rich in self-esteem and sense of purpose. However, the opposite is often true, with many people experiencing family […]
With many aging parents taking multiple prescriptions, and with physicians adding and changing medications and dosages to discover ideal solutions, it is crucial to know how to properly dispose of medication safely once it is expired or no longer needed. There are several medication disposal options: Check labels. The medication's label or informational literature might […]
Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia requires empathy, creativity, and patience, being able to step away from your own reasoning and logic and understand why a certain behavior is happening, and then to understand exactly how to successfully manage it. Refusal to change clothes and dementia can sometimes go hand […]
Disbelief. Shame. Awkwardness. Discomfort. Each one of these feelings can cycle through a family caregiver’s mind when a senior with dementia showcases disinhibited behaviors, such as: Rude or tactless comments Inappropriate sexual remarks or advances Removal of clothes at improper times Other socially unacceptable actions The complicated changes that occur to the brain in Alzheimer's disease […]
