I can hardly remember my life before Mom came to live with us on December 3, 1996 at the invitation of my husband, Lyle. She was 87, but to her, age was just a number. It did not define her. She was in good health and very active. Living with us fulfilled a need in her life and she enriched our live[...]
Despite my father’s diagnosis of dementia at age 86 and Alzheimer’s shortly thereafter, he was physically healthy. While he lived with us, I’d take him shopping. The outing gave him a change of pace and he kept me company. One day in late November, after the holiday shoppers had ma[...]
Time for a little FUN! It’s time we caregivers lighten things up a bit and start calling each other names. It’s okay. Really. When the going gets tough, forget calling yourself a caregiver, carer, or care partner. Nahhh, how about trying out a new name? PWoD! C’mon, say it aloud. P[...]
I try to keep this caregiver blog focused on topics related to caregivers, especially for people with dementia. What has happened in America has divided our country. With time, just as we lose a loved one, our shock, grief and pain (if we didn’t vote for Trump) will sting a little less. For no[...]
Four Ways Adult Caregivers Can Take Care of Themselves, Too Guest article by Jennifer Landis Few people outside of the healthcare industry say they want to grow up and become a caregiver. It isn’t an option on the SATs or a career recommended by a guidance counselor. Yet most caregivers serve out of[...]
After my father who lived Alzheimer’s lost his ability to be understood, I tried even harder to adapt caregiver communication skills so we could connect. Then both of us seemed to make a discovery. It had been there all along – my father had found an alternate way to connect and I would [...]
“When my wife, Shannon, started explaining, it was one of the most eye-opening WOW moments,” Brian says when I ask him about his blog post entitled, Alzheimer’s has, at least, Two Faces. [4/28/2023 TCV Update: This URL is no longer available.] Inspired by Barbra Streisand’s, movie, The Mirror has Tw[...]
Caregiver, don’t reach your breaking point! In the article, Knowing When You Need Help With Caregiving [1/9/2024 TCV Update: Homewatch Caregivers URL no longer available.], I wrote, “We caregivers are a stubborn lot. This helps us… when times are tough. But when we keep trying to t[...]
Many family caregivers step into the world of caregiving after a crisis. It wasn’t until the Milwaukee County on Aging case worker called me that I realized my father’s forgetfulness and disorientation were more serious. But what can I do? I’m in California. Besides, what is dement[...]
Our Dementia Diary: Irene, Alzheimer’s and Me Rachael and Irene were supposed to live a long and happy life, retire and travel the world. But a thief called Alzheimer’s visited in 2004 and began tearing apart the lives they had carefully built for a quarter century. This is a remarkably honest[...]
Robert Vaughn best known for his role in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. co-stars with writer, director, and actress Victoria Negri in her debut film. Gold Star is a semi-autobiographical 87-minute film about Vicki, a twenty-something daughter who drops out of music school in New York City to return to her [...]
Guest article by Brian Wu, PhD Increasingly, the media have been covering the uncertain future of Medicaid. We’ve heard and read about the consequences if this government program goes broke or gets into other financial trouble. It’s important for people to understand why Medicaid is impo[...]
