Effective Strategies to Advocate for Aging Parents
Trusting someone you love to be cared for by someone else is never easy, especially for a senior family member. Whether at home or in a facility, you’ll have questions that need to be answered. You’ll also want to be prepared to advocate for your loved one to proactively manage any potential problems and also […]
Can a Caregiver Get PTSD?
If you think PTSD only happens to those who have experienced life-threatening danger, think again. PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) can arise after any traumatic event or experience. So, can a caregiver get PTSD? It may surprise you to learn that providing care for a loved one is, in fact, among the main factors behind PTSD. […]
How to Handle the Effects of Chemo Brain
Short-term memory problems. Confusion. Inability to concentrate. Could it be Alzheimer’s? Perhaps; but if you’re a cancer survivor, there’s another common culprit that could be at play: chemotherapy. Known as chemotherapy induced cognitive impairment (CICI) or “chemo brain,” effects such as these can last for months or even years post-treatment. Chemo brain can occur in […]
How to Take a Break from Caregiving (And Why You Need to)
“You can make it, but it’s easier if you don’t have to do it alone.” – Betty Ford We all know that no individual can function as an island, something that especially holds when caring for a parent with dementia. Yet many family caregivers stumble when it comes to asking for or accepting the help […]
The Keys to Happy & Healthy Aging
It has taken nearly 80 years and a variety of research studies to produce the result: a good genetic makeup and wealth really have very little to do with our degree of joy. The Harvard Study of Adult Development launched in 1938, looking into the lives of high-profile participants such as Ben Bradlee and John […]
Tips to Help Overcome Family Caregiver Dread
What are your first thoughts as soon as you wake up each morning? Are you looking forward to what the day holds, or would you like to crawl back underneath the covers and stay there? If you are feeling more dread than delight as you think through your family caregiver responsibilities for the day, you’re […]
How Creating a Memory Book Can Help a Senior with Dementia
“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr. Seuss Memories are the glue that binds together our past with who we are today; and for a senior with Alzheimer’s disease, confusion around these memories may have a deep impact. One of our goals in caring […]
Dementia Caregiver Tips: How to Handle Shadowing
Primary caregivers for those with dementia are frequently all too familiar with the complications experienced in trying to take a quiet moment or two alone – to use the bathroom, get a quick shower, and even step into another room. Those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s can experience enhanced fear when a family member is out of […]
How to Help Elderly Parents Maintain Dignity and Independence at Home
It is simple to get caught up in the day-to-day caregiving tasks required to help elderly parents at home. There’s a great deal to be done, and often it’s just easier and more efficient to do it all on your own, letting the seniors relax. After all, our elders have taken care of everything for […]
How to Free Yourself of Caregiver Guilt
Family care providers give a great deal of themselves to take care of their loved ones, frequently surrendering their own desires and needs in the process. It may seem natural to assume then that caregivers would feel good about themselves, with high self-esteem and sense of purpose. However, the opposite is oftentimes true, with many […]