Care for Caregivers

When I first began writing these articles five years ago, I was asked by my Editor if I would have enough material to sustain them? Today, I write for six newspapers and I’m a long way from running out of valuable information to share with you.  Often my topics are driven by situations and circumstances that occur to those I’m […]

Introduction It’s often assumed that the elderly have different sleep needs than younger adults, but in truth, sleep needs don’t change in adulthood. At any age, those precious 7-9 hours per night are still what’s required to be rested and ready for the day. But just because older adults need the same amount of sleep doesn’t mean that they don’t […]

The following is an actual post from the public “Chatboard” on the Alzheimer’s Associations web site, www.alz.org.  “It is with a very heavy heart and a sense of failure that I am moving forward to place my Mom in Memory Care.  Mom was diagnosed four years ago and she lives with my husband and I. We both still work and […]

Many of you that have read my book, heard me speak, read these articles or hear my Memory Care Minutes on radio are aware that there are over 15 million informal or unpaid caregivers of those with dementia in this country. With that number in mind, ask yourself, how many of them were put on this earth to actually be […]

In one of my previous articles, I talked about traveling with your loved one who has Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia. One area I focused on was dealing with the challenges of an airport. Today we’re going to talk about local transportation. Most of my life, I’ve been guilty of being “my brother’s keeper.” In my capacity as […]

It was October 1967. After boot camp at Great Lakes and three months of specialized training at Lakehurst Naval Air Station, I reported on board the USS Kitty Hawk, CVA-63, in San Diego. When I arrived at North Island, she was out at sea qualifying pilots for carrier duty. She usually went out a week at a time and would return […]

We’ve all heard the expression “walk a mile in their shoes” or try to see things from their point of view. If you’re a formal or informal caregiver of someone with Alzheimer’s or other dementia you need to be doing this daily. I recently took an on-line course with Jolene Brackey of Purdue University and she shared some insights that […]

When you consider that the name of my company is “Care for Caregivers,” it’s pretty easy to figure out what our focus is. I’ve been saying it for years; if you’re an informal or “at home” caregiver of someone with Alzheimer’s or other dementia you’re my hero. I recently spoke at a Conference in Connecticut and had the opportunity to […]

My specialty is educating caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s dementia to better understand what is happening and why. Although I’m capable of having a conversation with you about the clinical side of this topic, I’ll leave that to the medical experts. In my travels, I’ve come across countless numbers of “at home” caregivers that are in a serious learning curve. […]

It’s been said that “no one can make you feel guilty without your permission.” This is especially true when it comes to caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s dementia. Recently, I came across two women, one from Massachusetts and one from Connecticut, who were really struggling with this issue. It was now time for their respective loved ones to leave home […]