Eating healthy and staying active is good for everyone and is especially important for people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. As the disease progresses, finding ways for the person to eat healthy foods and stay active may be increasingly challenging. Here are some tips that may help: Consider different activities the person can do to… Continue reading Tips for a Healthy and Active Lifestyle for People With Dementia
Tag: caregiver
Stop Wondering if You Are a “Good Caregiver”
Loving and caring for someone with dementia can be challenging. Perhaps, it is one of the most challenging struggles one will ever encounter. No one can predict if or when their loved one, especially a parent, will be diagnosed with dementia. But, in a blink of an eye, it happens. Without much warning, our world… Continue reading Stop Wondering if You Are a “Good Caregiver”
Spirituality Eases Depression for Some Stroke Patients
Having a higher level of spirituality helps lessen depression in stroke survivors and their caregivers and boosts their quality of life, according to new research. The study included data from 223 caregiver-stroke survivor pairs in Italy who completed questionnaires measuring spirituality, depression and quality of life between 2016 and 2018. Survivors who scored above average… Continue reading Spirituality Eases Depression for Some Stroke Patients
How to Save Your Marriage After Becoming Your Husband’s Caregiver
My husband and I were college sweethearts and had been together for 28 years when he suffered a cardiac arrest in 2003. He didn’t get enough oxygen to his brain and lapsed into a coma for 10 days. When he woke, he wasn’t the same person I had married. He had severe cognitive deficits; his… Continue reading How to Save Your Marriage After Becoming Your Husband’s Caregiver
10 Dos and Don’ts of Caring for the Elderly
If you’ve ever cared for an elderly loved one you know how challenging it can be. The fact is that it’s difficult to watch someone close to you struggle mentally and physically, and being there for them around the clock can take a toll on you. What are the best ways to cope and make… Continue reading 10 Dos and Don’ts of Caring for the Elderly
The Importance of Getting a Second Opinion
People always hear about getting a second opinion. Many people even threaten to “get a second opinion”, but never do, although, when they do, at least one study suggests, they often get a differing opinion. A 2005 Gallup Poll that surveyed 5,000 Americans found that about half reported “never” seeking a second opinion and only 3 percent… Continue reading The Importance of Getting a Second Opinion
Caregivers Face Strain When Heart Patients Get Assistive Device
When heart failure patients receive a heart pumping device known as a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), their caregivers seem to suffer, too – at least initially, according to research in Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA), the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. In a study of 50… Continue reading Caregivers Face Strain When Heart Patients Get Assistive Device
Long-Distance Caregiving: Dealing with Frustration and Guilt
Caregiving, especially from a distance, is likely to bring out many different emotions. Feeling frustrated and angry with everyone, from the care recipient to the doctors, is a common experience. Anger could be a sign that you are overwhelmed or that you are trying to do too much. Although they may not feel as physically… Continue reading Long-Distance Caregiving: Dealing with Frustration and Guilt
Caring for Elders with Dementia: Tips for Family Members
Someone in the United States develops dementia every 66 seconds, according to the Alzheimer’s Association 2016 “Facts and Figures”. The diagnosis is devastating for those who have the disease and also imposes a crushing burden on their families. The decision regarding the best way to care for a loved one with dementia is dependent on… Continue reading Caring for Elders with Dementia: Tips for Family Members
Singing the Holiday Blues?
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But sadly, not for everyone. Whether it’s dealing with loss, getting over an addiction, being new in town, helping children post-divorce or caring for a senior citizen, here are my suggestions to help make the holidays a bit easier to navigate. For the newly divorced or widowed Loss is… Continue reading Singing the Holiday Blues?
November Is National Family Caregivers Month
Just in time for November, National Family Caregivers Month, here are tips to improve loved ones’ health and support caregivers: Get Organized: Some public websites offer free resources for caregivers, including calendars, task management tools and educational resources. Others feature online stores with products and local services for purchase, including home-safety products, home-delivered meals and… Continue reading November Is National Family Caregivers Month
5 Tips for Managing Life as a Family Caregiver
Each year more and more Americans step up to assume the role of primary caregiver for an adult family member or loved one. In fact, in the past year, nearly 40 million Americans have provided unpaid care. For many, taking on the role of caregiver is necessary for the health and wellness of a senior loved one, but it is not without… Continue reading 5 Tips for Managing Life as a Family Caregiver
Caregivers Need to Care for Themselves, Too
When a major illness or injury leaves someone in need of long-term, nearly round-the-clock care, it’s often up to a family member to step in and provide it. But research shows that the role of caregiving can lead to its own health issues, creating a significant amount of stress and strain for the caregiver. “That… Continue reading Caregivers Need to Care for Themselves, Too
Long-Term Care: Are You a Denier?
The statistics are staggering. About 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that more than 70 percent of people over 65 will require long-term care services at some point. But few people make preparations for this inevitable part of life that can drain a family… Continue reading Long-Term Care: Are You a Denier?
Old Age – Then and Now
A long time ago, when I was just a teen, a girlfriend who already volunteered at a local nursing home, invited me to volunteer. For six months or so, twice a week, Sue, dressed in a cute Candy Striper outfit, pushed around the hospitality cart. Her job, which cast her in an angelic light, was… Continue reading Old Age – Then and Now
How to Handle Hallucinations and Delusions in Alzheimer’s Patients
Editor’s note: Alzheimer’s is one of the most frightening diseases in existence, and caring for a person with AD can be frustrating, heartbreaking and complicated. Here, experts from the National Institute on Aging offer coping strategies for caregivers who are dealing with a patient’s delusions, hallucinations and paranoia: As Alzheimer’s progresses, the person with AD… Continue reading How to Handle Hallucinations and Delusions in Alzheimer’s Patients
Caregiver Involvement in Hospital Discharge Is Beneficial
Results of a study published in November 2014 in The American Journal of Managed Care show that the presence of a family caregiver during patient discharge is associated with a greater rate of completion of post hospital transitional care coaching intervention, particularly among men. Discharge is a crucial component of the hospitalization process. Patients’ understanding… Continue reading Caregiver Involvement in Hospital Discharge Is Beneficial