Four Things to Not Do When It Is Not Just Dementia For those of you with a loved one who suffers from dementia of any sort, it is hard to see them fade in their ability to remember familiar surroundings, important experiences from the past or even remember you. And as if that is not [...]
Why Are People With Dementia So Difficult? Well, why ARE they so difficult, those people with dementia we care for? Our Mom, Grandma, that resident in room 13? After all, we mean well, don’t we? We’re the good guys, ones taking care of them. So, why aren’t they more helpful, less cranky? There, there, sit [...]
Hard to Help Who is difficult to handle, moody, won’t listen to reason and thinks you’re an idiot. Well, yes, it could be your 15-year-old. But it’s just as likely to be your 85-year-old. The emerging young and the old share exactly the same feelings. Each wants to be making decisions without interference from people [...]
When Your Parent Becomes Like A Child Again One of the more difficult life events a person can experience is the long-term illness of a family member. A person can respond negatively to this experience or use it as an opportunity for growth. In 2001, my family was forced to place my father in a [...]
Normal Sundowning in Dementia You might think it’s absurd to talk about normal sundowning. After all, isn’t sundowning the crazy time for people with dementia? We-e-e-ll, not exactly. Usually, people with dementia who have sundowning — and by no means everyone does — have a regular period of agitation expressed in emotions and behaviors. What [...]
Learning to Speak Dementia This is how normal dementia works. The first noticeable thing that happens is that gradually you lose the ability to access your short-term memory. You know this long before anyone else notices. That’s because it’s a long slow process. By the time others notice, you have probably been unable to retain [...]
What Does Dementia Forget? Most of us dementia caregivers get into trouble because we forget what dementia forgets. Believe me, I know. I’m almost as bad as you are. But not quite. Here is my special reminder list for you. Think of it as a check-list of things that will drive you crazy if you [...]
