Alzheimer’s

An older couple sites side by side on a bench, looking out over a lake.

When Your Spouse or Parent with Alzheimer’s No Longer Recognizes You

Dear Carol: After decades together, my wife no longer recognizes me. She’s been living with Alzheimer’s for nearly ten years, so this is...

Caring for Aging Parents Who Didn’t Care for You

Years ago, a journalist (we’ll call her Nancy) requested an interview with me to discuss common caregiving issues for an article she...

Cover of Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. The background is a sepia-toned room. In the foreground is a picture of the author's father, sitting in a contemplative pose with arms crossed. This image is also sepia-toned in browns of different shades. To the right is the book title.

Should You Join Someone With Dementia in Their Reality?

It was not unlike any other day, but on this particular afternoon, Dad was adamant. He was waiting for his medical degree...

The Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease (the 7 Stage Model)

The only certainty when diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease is that a senior’s condition will progressively worsen. The national Alzheimer’s Association has developed...

This indoor image shows a woman with Asian features, long, dark hair tied back lovingly hugging an older adult from behind. The older adult, also appearing Asian, has thin gray hair drawn ack and wears a red jacket. The younger woman has one hand on the olde adult's arm and with the oppsing arm slung around their shoulder. The older person is touching the younger person's hand on the shoulder.

Is It Normal to Grieve Before Someone Dies?

Nearly everyone involved in caring for an ill or aging loved one is experiencing some degree of grief. However, we don’t usually...

Older couple, Hispanic heritage, both with gray hair. Taller man has his arm around the woman's neck in a loving way. She is softly touching his arm and hand.

Transitioning from Spouse to Caregiver Presents a Confusing Dynamic

Dear Carol: My husband and I have been together for 59 years and married 56. He’s in his sixth year after a...

An young woman stands close to an older man, leaning slighly against him. The man is bald and wears glasses and a gray shirt. The young woman has medium brown hair pulled back with strands in front and wears a green sweater. They are both smiling.

Mistakes to Avoid When Caregiving for Someone Living with Alzheimer’s

Most of us who have cared for someone living with dementia of any type, whether that is Alzheimer’s (AD), Lewy body dementia...

a closeup image of an oldr man with a weathered face and a lost yet determined look on his face. We see his gray hair under a tan colored baseball style hat and he wears a navy golf shirt with white stripes in the collar.

People Experiencing Dementia Symptoms May Deny Any Concerns

Dear Carol: Do people with dementia deny their disease because of the stigma, or do they just not know they have it?...

Common Caregiver Confessions (We’re Human)

Wouldn’t it be nice to be a family caregiver who never gets frustrated and is an eternal optimist? Maybe there are some...

This image has a gray indoor backdrop. IN the foreground, a woman with long, light brown hair bends her had forward where she covers her face with her hands. She has light skin and red polished nails.

Tips to Cope With Dementia Caregiver Burnout

You watch your once mentally sharp loved one decline before your eyes. Their uncontrollable behaviors, mood swings, outbursts, confusion and memory loss...