Successful Dementia Interventions If an emergency intervention needs to happen in dementia, it often involves the opposite of what you might think. That, by the way, is exactly why care staff and family caregivers walk, or even run, right into trouble sometimes. I’m not talking medical emergency, but behavioral emergency. When things heat up in [...]

Help With Alzheimer’s Sundowning Sundowning is the issue most likely to reduce Alzheimer’s dementia caregivers to chewing off their paws. It typically occurs as the light of day is fading — hence the term sundowning — and is a period of agitation and emotional distress for people with Alzheimer’s. Also, often, for their caregivers. It [...]

Alzheimer’s Eating Henry would sneak ice-cream bars out of the freezer whenever his wife’s back was turned. He might have had Alzheimer’s but, by gosh, he knew where the good stuff was kept. “What can I do to stop him?” his wife asked at the support group. Maud would sit and stare at her plate [...]

Communicating With Your Aging Parent’s Physician Physicians are a vital part of your aging parent’s health care. It is therefore crucial that you and your parent feel comfortable communicating questions and concerns to the appropriate physician. Part of a Team – Reporting Symptoms If you are your parent’s primary caregiver, you are an integral part [...]

Alzheimer’s in Your Face Gosh, it’s embarrassing to tell you this. After all, you’re doing what few people do. You’re caring for a person with Alzheimer’s — the most feared disease facing Americans today. So, who am I to tell you your caregiving is driving people with dementia crazy, okay? Don’t take this personally, because [...]

Alzheimer’s Care Giving While Maintaining Your Own Health Just for a moment I want you to imagine that you are coming out of a very deep sleep. If you have ever had surgery try to remember the way you felt as you were trying to make sense of things as you awoke. As you imagine [...]