Almost daily, there’s an article about how poorly prepared we Americans are for retirement. Sure, we may not be the best savers on the planet; but sometimes, our long-term plans take a detour. A loved one is stricken by illness or we’re still drowning with only a fraction of our savings after the last economic [...]
There are times when caregivers need to have the straight scoop on poop. Are you able to tell the difference among types of backmatter? Early detection could prevent a loved one with dementia from being back-ended by a more serious matter. After all, who needs the stress of worrying about yet another thing: WHAT is [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
The Spiritual Life of a Caregiver Guest article by Dr. Carol Peters-Tanksley One year ago, my caregiving journey ended as I washed my husband’s closed eyes and kissed his lifeless hands. Al would never have wanted to call me his caregiver, but as his illness progressed that’s what I increasingly became. I felt the full [...]
When a parent or spouse is diagnosed with dementia, fun and games are far from most people’s minds. Believe it or not, a popular tabletop game can actually slow cognitive decline. It can give those coping with early-stage or mid-stage dementia an opportunity to thrive. That game? Ping pong . Ping pong (table tennis) has [...]
Guest article by Charles Sipe The number of recalled drugs in the United States surged from 166 in 2004 to a staggering 1,225 in 2013. Last year is shaping up to be a big year in drug recalls with 836 recalls through August 11, 2014. The rapid acceleration in the number of recalls should be [...]
Guest article by EarQ Today, 48 million Americans report some degree of hearing loss. Meanwhile, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, every 67 seconds. Now, new research is beginning to show that the two conditions have more in common than you may think. When it comes to [...]
Guest article by Sarah Blanchard People are not usually aware of nursing home abuse until it affects their family, directly. Each year, thousands of people living in care facilities are abused. A two-page National Center on Elder Abuse Research Brief cites a 2010 study that 50 percent of nursing home staff admitted to mistreating patients [...]
Guest article by Fay Wein Most people don’t think of the bathroom as being one of the most dangerous rooms in the house. If a loved one is planning to age in place, especially one with a cognitive impairing disease such as Alzheimer’s, the bathroom will be an important area to remodel. The goal of [...]
8 Tips for Caregivers Click on link at bottom of page for a full-sized free printable copy. Eight TIPS for Alzheimer’s / dementia caregivers. The following tips for caregivers include learning as much as you can about Alzheimer’s / dementia, how to communicate, deal with anger, the importance of taking respite, and using support groups [...]
By 2025, the elderly population (both in the United States and globally) is expected to double, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This means that many of us will be dealing with senior-aged parents -- something that you may not be completely prepared for. As they age, your parents will begin to need more and [...]
Your mother resists in-home helpers, insisting you can wait on her. Your frail father won't stop driving. Your aunt denies the need for a personal care aide, in spite of her unwashed hair and soiled clothes. Your grandmother refuses to move to an assisted living facility "because it's full of old people." Sound familiar? Nothing [...]
It is a tough decision when we have a loved one that needs more help than we can provide. It's even harder, sometimes, to know how to help our loved ones stay safe in their home for longer as they get older, known as "aging in place". Fortunately, Ronnie Friedland does a great job outlining [...]
