The Illness We’re Overlooking that Many Seniors May Have
In one’s older years, it is common to be dealing with sleeping problems, fatigue, or loss of appetite. And frequently, they’re written off as exactly that. Yet, for as many as 8 million seniors over age 65, these symptoms are indicative of something significantly more than normal aging – they’re signs of mental illness. And […]
Helping Seniors Find Meaning and Purpose in Everyday Life
Think of an average day in the life of a senior loved one. Ideally it provides a couple of positive and enriching experiences: savoring breakfast, participating in an enjoyable hobby or interest, visiting with a good friend or relative, watching a well-liked show on tv. Nonetheless, there’s a distinction between positivity and purpose; and the […]
How to Keep Motivating Seniors from Crossing the Line to Bullying
As a family caregiver, you no doubt encounter a range of emotions throughout the day: shared laughter over a joke with your loved one; worry over a health concern; and certainly, from time to time, frustrations. We want only the best for those we love, and when an older adult is resistant to doing something […]
Help for This Common Alzheimer’s Care Concern: Resistance to Personal Hygiene
Of the many challenges related to providing care for a loved one with dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association reveals that the most prevalent difficulty is with personal hygiene, for a variety of reasons: Reduced sense of vision and smell Comfort found in familiarity (i.e., wanting to wear the same clothes over and over again) The complexities […]
Why Is Dad Being So Irrational? Tips To Understand and Respond to Senior Paranoia
“I’m telling you, there is a dog in my closet! I hear it growling all night long. We have got to find its owner!” Hearing a senior loved one express worries such as this that you know to be untrue is unsettling – yet not abnormal. Your very first impulse could be to attempt to […]
How to Be Happy—Even with Chronic Pain or Illness
Have you ever woken up and thought, “It’s going to be one of those days!” Maybe your alarm didn’t go off, the hot water heater decided to quit working, and the dog chewed up one of your favorite shoes overnight. Now imagine if every day were “one of those days!” For a person living with […]
The Newest Breakthroughs in Curing Alzheimer’s
The first, interestingly, is a drug utilized to manage HIV. Scientists have discovered that the genetic blueprint in Alzheimer’s patients is altered as the disease advances, very similar to the genetic shuffling that occurs in individuals with HIV. The idea is that placing a halt on the movement of the specific genes can possibly prevent […]
How Concerned Should You Be About Guns and Dementia?
With an impassioned level of debate rivaling the Hatfields and McCoys, it appears insurmountable to come to a resolution around the issue of gun control. Yet in spite of which side of the fence you are on, there’s one little-discussed scenario that will cause all of us to take pause: the frightening mixture of dementia […]