Dementia and “Entering Their Reality:” Combining Elements of Truth with Preserving Dignity
Think of “Entering Their Reality” as a gentle and kind approach to delivering truth with dignity
Crankiness and Irritability in Persons with Dementia
There is a very good reason why people with dementia may seem more irritable or cranky: “laid off” workers!
Wish list for the caregiver?
The National Institutes of Health just released a paper on the needs of the caregiver “workforce.” Here are some highlights from the report: Today family caregivers provide 80% of the care for persons with dementia. 16 million informal caregivers provide approximately 18 billion hours of unpaid care to persons with […]
What is the Difference Between a Nursing Home and an Assisted Living Facility?
How is a nursing home different from an assisted living? What in the world is “Memory Care Facility”? How can I figure out which is best for my loved one? How are they different?
What to Do When People with Dementia Cannot Eat
“I’m so distraught over my father. He has a Peg tube in, and hasn’t had any solid food for over 2 months.” So what does one doe when people with dementia cannot eat? Our reader Denise wrote: “I’m so distraught over my father. Has a Peg tube and hasn’t had any […]
Frontotemporal Dementia Caregiving Costs More than AD Caregiving
The combined indirect and direct care costs associated with FTD averaged $120K annually, compared to the average annual indirect and direct care costs of caregiving for AD, $64K. Flexible work schedules and pre-tax health savings accounts for caregiving expenses are two ideas that would make life better for family caregivers.
How often should you visit a Memory Care Resident when they first go in?
This is an important question, and is often a great source of anxiety for caregivers of people with dementia. The answer often depends on the actual circumstances at the time.
The 3 Questions Every Dementia Caregiver Should Ask Clinicians: Starting the Palliative Care Conversation
We described palliative care as “aggressive symptom management for maximum quality of life at the present time.” The goal is to treat and remove, or reduce, symptoms that are bothering the person who is deeply forgetful. Symptoms such as pain, or problems like urinary tract infections, are handled in ways that make sense to the person living in Dementia Land.
Refusing Treatment for Someone with Dementia: Caregiver Knows Best (The Secret of Palliative Care)
Palliative care can include “end-of-life” or hospice care, but this narrow and incorrect understanding of palliative care restricts opportunities for important advanced care planning conversations to occur early in the disease process—AND TO INVOLVE THE PERSON WHO IS NOT QUITE YET DEEPLY FORGETFUL.