Caring for a loved one with memory loss or dementia, often brings a mix of emotions: love, worry, frustration, and exhaustion. Finding a way to stay connected as dementia progresses and a way to reduce your stress is important. One way is through Memoryboard. At Memoryboard, we understand that journey personally, because we've been there. It was developed by a father-in-law … [Read more...]
Five Tips For Dementia Caregivers Around The Holidays.
Holidays are stressful even in the best of times. When you are caring for someone with dementia, the opportunity for things to go sideways increases exponentially. In this 20-minute video, Sandra Levine and I talk about five things you can do to minimize your stress and that of the person living with dementia. From using effective communication to downsizing the group, … [Read more...]
An Answer to Phone Scams Perpetrated On Our Older Adults
Scams against people aged 60 and older have increased as online methods of communication have increased. In fact, according to a report by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, there is an increase of 14% from 2023 in elder fraud complaints and the financial loss is $3.4 billion for those victims. One solution to phone scams comes out of the personal experience of Gogie … [Read more...]
Dementia Distance Caregiving and Tough Decisions.
When the dementia journey with my mom began in 2020, I became keenly aware of the underlying current of dread and distress that comes with caregiving. Anything can go sideways at any time, whether you are nearby or not, which is why when I saw the call coming in from memory care at 11:00 pm, I thought, Oh, No. Mom was in her mid-70s and in perfect health living in California … [Read more...]
Buy the Ticket: Take the Ride: My dad’s last hoorah despite dementia
With a career working with seniors and specializing in supporting those living with dementia, you would think that I would be fully prepared when my father was officially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia. But the truth is no one can prepare you for this news and the realization that everything will be different. But I learned one important lesson on this … [Read more...]
Dementia Expert Teepa Snow On Driving, Elopement and “I Want To Go Home”
Teepa Snow is a world-renowned dementia specialist who is leading the charge to ensure that anyone can use proven techniques to interact and work with someone living with a progressive brain disease. Through her company Positive Approach to Care, Teepa creates resources for family and professional caregivers, the medical community and others via YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, … [Read more...]
Can Horticulture Therapy Offer Tangible Benefits For Your Elder With Dementia?
I recently met someone who became a horticulture therapist after leaving the field of education. I was intrigued by our discussion and the therapeutic power of gardening for our elders. The practice of horticulture for therapy and rehabilitation gained traction in the 1940s and 1950s as part of the rehabilitative care for hospitalized war veterans. Today, you will find … [Read more...]
Why is it Easier to Have a Quality-of-Life Discussion with My Vet, Than My Doctor?
Years ago when my dog, Josh, became ill he was diagnosed with several tumors. The initial diagnosis was a UTI, pancreatitis and colitis, but an X-ray taken as part of diagnostics was cloudy. The ultrasound clearly showed tumors and a slow bleed from one of them. It was the last thing I expected. I don’t think there is anything worse than going from a waiting room to a small … [Read more...]
Are You Putting Off Grief or Finally Living Your Life?
2023 was the year when, for the first time, I was able to really concentrate on my business. It feels good to see everything that was accomplished and gratifying to look back at the family caregivers whose lives I was able to touch. It felt like I was finally reclaiming my life. So, if 2023 was such a good year, why was the start of 2024 hard personally and professionally? … [Read more...]
“I’m only leaving this house feet first.”
Recently, I had a conversation with Rosanne Corcoran, past caregiver for her mom and host of Daughterhood the Podcast. Rosanne lost her mom about a year before I did and, like me, is still struggling with grief and trying to answer the questions every caregiver faces at the end of our journey. "What is my purpose? What am I good for now?” During our dinner, Rosann looked at … [Read more...]