Everyone slips up and says the wrong thing from time to time. Perhaps your objective was to compliment a friend on her new haircut, but you came across sounding like you were criticizing her previous hairstyle. Selecting our words carefully is always important, but even more so when speaking with a person with dementia. The…
What do family caregivers need? That’s a question family caregivers probably don’t get asked much. If you’ve ever felt invisible as a family caregiver, you’re not alone. Caring for someone you love takes center stage, and you may find that your own needs are put on the back burner. A recent listening session, however, allowed…
After losing a loved one, 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 sort out your grief is very important. Yet there are, unfortunately, a number of tasks that need to be taken care of, at various intervals…
You’ve been taking care of Mom since her dementia diagnosis. You’ve been working through many of the challenging symptoms. However one day, she looks at you and calls you by a different name – that of her husband or younger brother or father. Do you correct her, reminding her that you are her son? Should…
If you are in a successful, long-lasting relationship, you recognize that it requires commitment, compromise, and sacrifice. The happiest relationships are the ones where both parties selflessly take care of each other. This balance shifts, however, if the person you love encounters a serious health concern. And this shift into the role of care provider…
“You can make it, but it’s easier if you don’t have to do it alone.” – Betty Ford We all know that no individual can function as an island, something that especially holds true when caring for a parent with dementia. Yet many family caregivers stumble when it comes to asking for or accepting the…
Awkwardness. Discomfort. Disbelief. Shame. Most of these feelings can cycle through a family caregiver’s heart when your family member with Alzheimer’s disease displays disinhibited behaviors, such as: Rude or tactless comments Unacceptable sexual advances or remarks Removal of clothes at improper times And other socially unacceptable actions The complex changes that occur to the brain…
In an ideal world, we could perfectly compartmentalize our caregiving duties, sticking to a routine that met the needs of a loved one, while enabling enough time necessary to handle our myriad of other responsibilities. But of course, life does not adhere to our desired script, and conflicting needs are common when caring for an…
If you are one of the 8% of Americans who actually accomplish their New Year’s resolution goals, well done! However, if you are like the majority of us, you’ve given up well before even turning the calendar page to February. Although of course it is admirable to strive to improve ourselves by resolving to get…
There’s no question that it’s an incredible honor to care for people we love. Family caregivers experience a closeness and bond with those in their care that usually far outweighs the difficulties. However, there are challenges. A perpetual to-do list to be sure the senior loved one you’re providing care for is as happy and…