Hello, awesome reader! I am in the final stages of updating my Competent and Confident Dementia Caregiving Program. Stay tuned! Meanwhile, I want to make sure that this program serves YOU. Could you do me a favor? Please take this short (just 2 questions!!) survey. Thank you so much! I […]
Wandering is a common issue in people living with dementia, affecting 20% of people living with dementia out in the community and 60% of those in long-term care settings. There are 3 types of wandering behavior. The first is elopement, where a person is trying to escape from an unfamiliar […]
Does this feel familiar: “I quit my job to care for him, but he never appreciates anything I do.” Do you find yourself thinking, “Why is she so mean to me? Can’t she see I’m trying to help her?” Are you asking yourself, “How do I handle the stubbornness? It […]
For today’s blog, I want to dive deeper into Capgras syndrome: why we think it happens and what to do about it. Some people living with dementia develop Capgras syndrome–which is a fixed, false belief that family members are being replaced by look-alikes…by imposters.
In last week’s blog, I described three common types of delusions that you may encounter when caring for a person living with dementia: persecutory delusions, jealousy delusions, and scarcity delusions. There are other types of delusions, but these are the ones that tend to show up most often in people […]
Delusions are defined as false beliefs. These delusions can occur anytime in the dementia journey and they usually run their course then fade away. For this blog, I’m going to write about the three of the most common types of delusions that are encountered when caring for a person living with dementia: persecutory, jealousy, and scarcity. I’m also going to write about where these false beliefs may be coming from.
Wondering if you can safely leave your loved one with dementia alone? And for how long? Here are 3 things to help you decide.
Taking away the car keys from a person living with dementia is difficult, because driving is important for independence. Before I dive into the “how to” part of this blog, I want to talk about emotions and beliefs around driving. Knowing this information can help you strategize.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a type of neurodegenerative disease that includes ongoing and worsening problems with memory. CTE has been depicted in movies and television episodes–but not accurately.
Over 5 million young people aged 8-18 provide care to a disabled family member…and a good chunk of these youths are caring for a parent with dementia–which is much more difficult than helping to care for a grandparent with dementia.