Your whole family is gathered for dinner during the holidays. Your sister-in-law is playing a video to entertain her two boys. Your spouse is having an animated discussion with your brother about holiday-light displays. A timer is buzzing in the kitchen. Your teenage daughter tells you that your mother, who lives with Alzheimer’s, is upset. [...]
What is the origin of these three English-language pet peeves? Could it be as a caregiver, I felt my time was not respected at the doctor’s office? Or are these due to English being my second language? As a first-generation American, we, like many immigrant families, spoke my parents’ native language. In my case, it [...]
Tremor is an involuntary, rhythmic muscle contraction leading to shaking movements in one or more parts of the body. It is a common movement disorder that most often affects the hands but can also occur in the arms, head, vocal cords, torso, and legs. Tremor may be intermittent (occurring at separate times, with breaks) or [...]
Linda Sivertsen presents the concept of Time Debt – something we caregivers experience, but likely didn’t have a name for, until now. When we were younger, time went by slowly; especially, when we’re in school. As we grew older, we likely had the same lament as our parents: The seasons pass too quickly. Sometimes, our [...]
It used to be that speaking was a fear greater than death. Today, the fear of getting Alzheimer’s is frequently cited among the aging population. While VOICES with Dementia aims to raise awareness of people with dementia who live productive and meaningful lives, the stigma remains. But not for long among those willing to take [...]
For National Family Caregivers Month, we review Merrill Lynch’s just-released 42-page Caregiving Study Report, entitled, The Journey of Caregiving: Honor, Responsibility and Financial Complexity. While we often think of caregiving as hands-on care, surprisingly, 98% of family caregivers surveyed provide emotional and social support. Only 64% report providing hands on physical care. Over 2,000 family [...]
Caregiver, ask for HELP before it’s too late. Oftentimes, caregiving families (including mine) dive into crisis mode before they know what they’re getting into. As they dive deeper and deeper, they lose sight of the shoreline. Soon, they come up and gasp for air. Looking around, there’s nothing but shark-filled waters. This is a risky [...]
Caitlin Keating reports for People Magazine that these two newlyweds in the UK must now find a way to live dementia. Former globe trotter, Becky Barletta, who lived an active life now needs ’round the clock care. While her husband works, Becky needs caregivers to help look after her at her parents’ home. Despite symptoms [...]
While caring for a loved one with dementia, there are painful moments, which make us wonder if we can go on. For some, within that pain, lies an opportunity for laughter. This is how we survive. Caregiver humor is like that – bittersweet . She Is Much Nicer Than You Are Retired nurse-turned caregiver, Jeanne [...]
Learning to Appreciate the Humorous Side of Caregiving Caregiving can be a challenging and stressful profession…but it also has it’s unexpectedly funny moments…when you can learn to appreciate them. Even in the most stressful situations, professionals in senior care say that laughing can even be helpful for the caregiver, as well as the patient. [...]
UK-based CEO of ADI , Paola Barbarino says, “All the women affected by dementia are exposed to what has been termed a triple jeopardy. They are discriminated against as a result of their AGE, of their GENDER, and of their CONDITION.” “And then I looked up Dementia ” yields demeaning synonyms in the dictionary for [...]
Survey to Meet the Needs of Aging Population Los Angeles County (home of The Caregiver’s Voice) is conducting a survey to address the needs our diverse aging population. It includes questions about caregiving for people with dementia/Alzheimer’s. DEADLINE October 1, 2017 The survey is offered in 10 languages to meet the needs of Los Angeles’s [...]
Clinical Trials at Your Fingertips Clinical trials offer patients and caregivers the opportunity to be involved in their family’s medical care. Their participation in dementia research will help shape the future of medicine. Unfortunately, most people don’t know about clinical trials. For those that do, it’s difficult to find ones for which they qualify. Studies [...]
Caregivers like Joey Daley, father of three, take the initiative to follow the first tip of caregiving: Learn as much as you can about your loved one’s disease or illness to know what to expect. If that’s not enough, Joey took an even bigger step. He’s helping raise awareness of dementia and his mother’s Lewy [...]
Canadian-born Mary Beth Wighton, has been living with frontotemporal lobe dementia since 2012 when she was diagnosed at age 45. Two years later, she co-founded the Ontario Dementia Advisory Group (ODAG) with the mission of influencing governmental policies affecting the rights of people with dementia. “Since the formation of ODAG,” Mary Beth says, “members have [...]
Karen Miller’s mother suffered a massive stroke at age fifty. “My mother’s stroke caused paralysis on her right side and took away her ability to speak. Also, she didn’t recognize her reflection in the mirror,” said Karen during a recent interview. “Mom became emotional and seemed to lose her ability to reason. It wasn’t until [...]
Your parents cared for you growing up, and you want to return the favor. That makes sense, you feel obligated, you feel a sense of responsibility, you feel that you “owe it to them”. Before you jump in with both feet, you need to consider all of the implications of this decision. This is a [...]
Nearly 20 years ago, I delivered a speech in honor of a former caregiver for her husband with Parkinson’s. I titled it, It’s NOT the Thought That Counts . Rodin The Thinker Photo by Crystal Borde The speech was inspired by regret. In 1994, while on a tight schedule in Milwaukee, I decided not to [...]
If we’re to survive, we caregivers must find something to laugh about. We’ll thrive and find joy each day, when we tap our well of caregiver humor. There’s much to laugh about in simple everyday interactions if we stop being so serious about ourselves. I used to visit, José, my caregiver friend Lisa’s husband. He [...]
At Death’s Door brings to life the end of life. Many of us remain unaware of the important issues families face near the end of life. What does a DNR/DNI entail? What are the leading conditions that lead to irreversible decline? Who has the legal right to make decisions regarding our healthcare? What options does [...]
