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 identify the...
Relationships
Hospice Care: Help During End Stages of Life
Each time I walked into Dad’s room in the nursing home, he would be rigid in bed, propped up on one elbow and slamming...
In-Office Dementia Test Just the First Step in Getting a Diagnosis
Dear Carol: My mom is showing signs of compromised decision-making ability as well as some short-term memory loss. I understand that there are quick,...
Respecting the Right to Age With Dignity
The impact of aging frequently makes the news. Sadly, the coverage is consistently negative, and all facets of this topic are portrayed as “problems”...
5 Tips for Safeguarding Ear Health and Hearing
Note: Recent research has made it clear that treating hearing challenges can help protect our brains. Hearing problems don’t just happen to the very...
Losing the Ability to Swallow: How to Help Someone With Dysphagia
Coping with an ill loved one’s difficulty swallowing can be frustrating and frightening for everyone involved. Caring for someone we love means nurturing and...
Honor Your Elders’ Need for Independence
…”I often compare aging to the life cycle of a rose. It begins with a fresh new bud, which opens in full bloom and...
10 Things People With Dementia Wish Their Caregivers Knew
People living with dementia are the only ones who really understand what it’s like to live with their form of the disease, whether it’s...
How to Engage in Self-Care While Grieving
Many caregivers watch their loved ones endure a long, slow decline that will eventually end in death. As they age, we grieve every mental...
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...
