Last year, 15-year old Harry Gardner wrote and performed, Not Alone , a tribute to his grandmother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. When his 77-year old “nan” forgot his name, Harry was distraught. He came home and penned the words to his song, which has raised money for Alzheimer’s Research UK . Open your eyes [...]
The Elder Health Tree: A Resource for Healthy & Happy Aging Guest article by Justin Schein One day, we may find ourselves in the challenging role of caregiver. If life unfolds as expected, we’ll have a supportive community to help us care for our loved one at the end of their rich and full life. [...]
As a caregiver, it’s very easy to forget about taking care of yourself when you are laser-focused on taking care of another person. Frequently, caregivers have too much on their plates. If you’re one of these people, you know that even though you’ve prepared fully, surprises can leave you looking for help or new solutions. [...]
Facebook – Memory aid for Alzheimer’s? Facebook (FB) has a feature that reminds users of their status update from a year or more, ago. The reminder occurs on the anniversary date of when the user added the post. The user has a choice to share the memory as I’ve done below. Imagine how convenient this [...]
Gotta love the human spirit that refuses to be beaten! After a misdiagnosis of epilepsy, Australian-based Mick Carmody writes, “I was diagnosed with a common form of dementia in people who are under the age of 65 called – fronto-temporal lobe dementia or FTD.” Mick Carmody surrounded by his family. L-R: son-in-law, daughter, wife, son, [...]
Do you feel like the only worker ant in your caregiving colony? Caregiving is both rewarding and overwhelming. Do you find yourself trying to make progress when the winds of life start blowing against you? Sometimes, we go through periods in life where we feel like a bunch of ants coming and going… but we [...]
John Roche cared for his mother in his home for the last ten years of her life. He admired all she’d been through – strokes, paralysis, and raising three children, mostly alone. He looked forward to caring for her. What he didn’t expect was the toll it would take on him and his mom. Unforeseen [...]
Carole Mulliken provides this month’s review of the book, The Inheritance for The Caregiver’s Voice REVIEW. If you are a caregiver for a person with Alzheimer’s, you know that caregiving can be a 24/7 in-your-face challenge. Sometimes, it lasts for decades. The Inheritance is a sweeping saga of the ill-fated Galen and Gail DeMoe family. [...]
What do you mean? Recently, I viewed a video excerpt of a former caregiver claiming that despite being comfortable with both online and offline research, she couldn’t find any information for caregivers. Really? Nothing? The Caregiver’s Voice REVIEW receives books with similar remarks in the introduction: I wrote this book because there is no information [...]
Despite Dementia, Michael O’Brien Smiles Twenty-one years ago, when I became a full-time family caregiver for my father with dementia, few people talked openly about living with dementia. Most didn’t want to talk about it at all and their families usually spoke about it, quietly. We often used the term, Alzheimer’s, to describe nearly all [...]
