Rita Jablonski, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, FGSA is a nurse practitioner, researcher, tenured professor, and former family caregiver. Her research and practice involve all aspects of dementia management; she is best known for non-drug strategies to address dementia-related behaviors.
It’s been twelve weeks since my last post about dementia caregiving and coronavirus issues. I apologize for my lack of posts. Like many of you, I’ve had to quickly adapt to the “new normal.” Here are some of the ways the pandemic has affected my work….and lessons learned that I’d like to share.
Caring for someone with dementia is challenging. Caring for someone living with dementia right now? Super challenging. For the month of June, I will be offering free 30-minute coaching sessions to family caregivers of persons living with dementia. Do I have ALL of the answers? Nope. But I am really good at listening to family … More Free Dementia Caregiving Coaching for June
Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Alzheimer’s Association have excellent general resources for dementia caregivers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please refer to those sites first; I am not going to repeat their advice on this blog. Instead, I provide some additional and practical COVID-19 and dementia caregiving tips … More COVID-19 and Dementia Caregiving Tips
Rage and anger is hard to manage in dementia, where the rules of logic and reason no longer apply. This blog contains important techniques for caregivers. … More “Yes We Have No Bananas:” Techniques for Dealing with Dementia Rage in FTD
It may seem like common sense to remove firearms from the house of a person with dementia. Especially if you have observed prior instances of unsafe behavior. But what happens when the person with dementia reports the guns as stolen? Read more for pre-emptive strategies and approaches for both family members and law enforcement. … More Guns and Dementia: No Brainer?
Chocolates, plush animals, and romantic cards. Those are the staples of Valentine’s Day. But want to see real love in action? Watch a care partner for someone with dementia. … More Happy Valentine’s Day to Dementia CarePartners
Financial exploitation is a real problem that impacts persons living with dementia and their families. Decisional capacity is the ability to make a decision. Decisional capacity does not mean everyone agrees with the person’s final decision; I can have the ability to make a decision, but may still make a poor one because I allowed emotions to affect my decision or failed to heed good advice. Decisional competence is a legal term. Competence is ultimately decided by a judge, who weighs opinions rendered by court-appointed or court-recognized experts. … More Decisional Capacity or Competence?
Drowning in Dementia in Alabama According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 304,000 people in Alabama are family caregivers for 92,000 people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. This number only includes people who are 65 years old or older. It does not capture the 13% of people aged 45 or older who have some type of cognitive impairment, … More The PANDA Project: New Resources for Dementia Caregivers in Alabama
Hello, awesome readers! A reader alerted me about broken links on the Looking for Something Specific page. I was absolutely horrified to discover that nearly all of my links had been broken! WordPress assigns a new URL every time a blog is updated. So, I had to go through each topic and update the link. … More Newly Updated Index Page!
I suck at selecting and giving gifts. My family members and friends are probably rolling their eyes as I tackle the topic of best gifts for dementia caregivers. Other organizations have general information about selecting appropriate gifts for persons with dementia. Alzheimers.net, for example, has a terrific one. They recommend tailoring the gift according to the … More What Gifts are Best for Caregivers of Persons with Dementia?
