Coping With Respite Care Guilt
Respite care is a useful resource that can bring a much-needed break to a caregiver. Unfortunately, it can also be accompanied by guilt. By guest blogger, Lee Elliott It’s completely normal for caregivers to experience the need for a periodic break from their...11 Ways to Help People Who Have Dementia but Don’t Realize it
Being a caregiver for someone who has a memory deficit can be extremely challenging. It becomes even more difficult when that person is unaware of their dementia or any other limitations associated with it. Dementia can directly impact a person’s ability to follow...
Important Tips When Caring for a Spouse or Partner
The relationship between every couple is unique. There are moments when you rely on each other for comfort and support. Responsibilities are shared and your daily routine becomes carved out and the norm. When a catastrophic illness occurs these boundaries and norms...Lost Control
When I was little, my mother would make excuses for the A’s on my report card as though I hadn’t earned them. I explained to a friend not long ago that because of this, after third grade I stopped showing the grade report to my mother. Being a mother herself, this...
How to Assess if the Seniors in Your Life Should Stop Driving
My father was in his eighties and still driving. I had driven with him and knew he was driving way below the speed limit. I also knew he was not as aware of his environment as he should be. It was the kind of situation where I was afraid he would be the cause of an...
Fueling Your Fat Fix: Forbidden Foods That Are Okay to Eat
You may have been hearing for a while that fats should be back in our diets and on our plates. An overwhelming amount of research has confirmed that healthy fats contribute to overall good health. But this doesn’t give you permission to eat a steady diet of fast-food...
How I Cracked the Case to Explain my Husband’s Hallucinations and Delusions
When Mike and I met and married over 37 years ago, we were almost like the Brady Bunch times two. My five kids and his six daughters made for loud, but happy, family meals when we were all together. Like any family, we juggled the needs of our kids while working, me...Caregivers: How to Maintain your Health Despite this Taxing Job
Being a caregiver has its rewards, but it can certainly take its toll on someone’s body and mind. Between the mental and physical strains, caregivers report such issues as insomnia, poor eating habits, a failure to take care of their own physical health...How To Be Your Parent’s Caregiver
There are many people who are currently caregivers for their parents. The National Alliance for Caregiving reports “over 65.7 million Americans currently provide care for a family member or loved. Thirty Six percent of them are caring for an elderly parent.” It...Tips From a Physical Therapy Pro for Improving Your Balance at Home
Did you hear Marge fell and broke her hip? Well, that’s common place as 1/3 of people age 65 or older experience a hard fall due to loss of balance (nihseniorhealth.gov). These falls can and often lead to serious injury and death. Many factors can contribute to...
Coping With Agitation and Aggression as a Caregiver
One of the most challenging aspects of caregiving is managing agitation or aggression from the person you are taking care of. These are two distinctly different behaviors. Agitation stems from anxiety, fear, or confusion. It is a restless state where it is difficult...
3 Ways to Help Seniors Live a Happier Life
You’ve probably watched more than a fair share of TV shows or movies with the grumpy old senior acting as comedy relief. In real life, however, a sour senior isn’t so funny. If you have an aging parent or grandparent that is longing for the good old days, lonely or...
Caregivers Advocating for Change
Since becoming a caregiver, you may have discovered you have a passionate dislike for the disease or condition that caused you to become a caregiver. No disease is “liked” but generally they aren’t on our radar until there is a reason for it to be there. I would make...
Growth and Lessons Learned from Being My Wife’s Caregiver
While my wife Rebecca lay in her hospital bed, the sterile feel of the hospital room and the alarms from her ventilator had become all too familiar. The shock had worn off from New Year’s Eve when they placed her in a chemically induced coma due to respiratory...
How to Assess When Your Aging Loved Ones May Be at Risk?
There may come a time when the ability to independently walk, dress, cook, or bathe becomes increasingly challenging for an aging loved one. How do you assess if it is safe for them to remain in their home without any assistance? There are some warning signs to watch...
8,760 Hours – What Will You DO With Them This Year?
How many times in 2016 did you find yourself saying “I don’t have time” whether it was time to read a book, prepare healthy meals, exercise, or visit with a friend? There are approximately 8,760 hours in a non-leap year. Reading that, it makes me cringe a bit to think...
3 Things I Learned About Aging While Serving as My Father’s Caregiver
My father passed away almost 2 years ago at age 97. Much to our chagrin, while in his eighties he was still climbing on his roof to clean the gutters and he shoveled snow. I suddenly found myself in the role of caregiver when he unexpectedly caught pneumonia at age...Connect With Me
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