Brain Health

This image is the cover of "Bringing Art to Life" by Daniel Potts. Close up on the left, we see a bright yellow sphere, with orage on top. Further down is more yellow with splotches of color on the left. The sphere could be a hat or a paint pallet. The cover art is slightly abstractt.

Dementia Can Open the Door to Artistic Expression

The treatment of people with dementia has changed dramatically since I first became personally involved with the disease. It’s now widely recognized that while...

This image has a black background. In the foreground we see an older woman on the left with long gray, flowing hair. She's wearing a black and white print sleeveless dress. With her eyes closed, she's holding her cheek out toward a younger woman who is kissing it. the younger woman has dark hair and is wearing a black and white striped open-collared shirt. both women have medium toned skin.

Caregiver Upset by Lack of Clarification Regarding Medical Terms

Dear Carol: I’m frustrated with medical people who think family caregivers should automatically understand their abbreviated terms. At appointments, my mom’s doctor asks about...

image shows a white desk or table as a base. ON top is a blood pressure cuff with the tube unwound and serpentine. The blood pressure reader is laying next to it along with a standard blue weekly pill container.

5 Tips for Keeping Your Brain Healthy While Caregiving

Many of us cope with the stress of caring for someone who has dementia. We agonize over the increasing losses that our loved one...

The image background is a blurred shelf with decorative objects. In the foreground we see an older coule. the sit closely with the mans' arm around the womans shoulders and the woman's hand placed against the man's chest. The man has brown hair and is wearing a light blue, long-sleeved shirt. He smiles as he looks down slightly at the woman's face. She has graying blonde hair and is wearing a gray long-sleeved sweater. Both have light skin and are smiling softly.

Caregiver Distressed That Wife Living at Home Still Wants to ‘Go Home’

Dear Carol: My wife of over 40 years has Alzheimer’s disease and I care for her at home. While I’ve worked to become educated...

We see a little bit of wall above a medium-toned hardwood floor on which a gray three pronged electrical plug rests.

10 Tips to Help You “Unplug” from Caregiving

Jen has been caring for her parents for almost two years and she is quickly approaching caregiver burnout. A close friend booked and prepaid...

A very close view of the back of a head with short, dark brown hair. We see enough of the face to view light skin and the back of an ear. The person wears a light blue shirt or sweater. Across from this person, we see someone in a white medical coat with only the chest visible. Light skinned hands hold bloodpressure equipment as the person appears to squeese the bulb while holdig down the cuff on the first person's arm.

Determining Type of Dementia Becomes Less Important in Advanced Years

Dear Carol: My mother is 96. She was quite sharp into her 90s, but since then, her condition has gradually deteriorated to where she...

This indoor image shows a dark wall. An older man sits in a dark brown recliner. He's wearing a turquoise long sleeved henly style shirt. He has gray hair, no visible glasses, and is staring ahead with an unhappy expression.

Coaxing a Down-in-the-Dumps Older Adult to Smile

Despite increasing awareness of and sensitivity to ageism in our society, age-related stereotypes about stubborn, grumpy seniors persist. Chronic health conditions, changes in functioning,...

This indoor image has a paned window in the background. One the lesft is an older man with gray hair and glasses. He's wearing a green cardigan and a navy and white checked shirt. His expression is happy and he's holding a peach. One the right is a younger woman who is also smiling and holding a peach. She has medium length dark blonde hair, glasses, and is wearing a tuquouise blouse.

4 Things to Consider Before Moving Aging Parents in With You

Decades ago, it was fairly common to have grandparents living with family and it often worked well. It did for my family. My parents...

This indoor iage shows brown blinds in the background that are tilted open. One the window ledge sits a small lit lamp. There is a dramatic feather and dried plant arrangement in the corner by the window. A brown, tufted couch is visible on the left with a matching love seat on the right. A coffee table between olds a glass ornament.

Making an Assisted Living Apartment Feel Like Home

While change is difficult for people of all ages, deviating from the status quo seems to become even more taxing as we get older...

This indoor image shows a Native American woman in a gray turtleneck sweater. She faces us with an exasperated expression, hands held in front with open palms facing upward. Her hair is salt and pepper with tails of hair pulled over each shoulder.

How to Survive Caring for Multiple Elders at the Same Time

When Caregivers Are Pulled in Too Many Directions: Every caregiver is familiar with the constant nagging feeling that something or someone in their life...