Caregivers of persons with dementia soon discover that placement does not reduce caregiver burden. Placement rearranges the challenges. Families and friends, however, mistakenly assume that once placement happens, caregiver responsibility magically dissolves away. Their assumptions often magnify the guilt and angst already flowing through the caregiver. Dealing with Guilt “Promise me you will never put…
Continue reading ➞ Placement Does Not Reduce Caregiver Burden
“I Thought I Would be the One Needing Care” I’m seeing this more and more in the clinic: parents caring for adult children with dementia. The person with dementia is about 50 years of age. The diagnosis may be early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease or frontotemporal lobar degeneration (frontotemporal dementia or primary progressive aphasia). The person with…
Continue reading ➞ Parents Caring for Adult Children with Dementia
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…
Continue reading ➞ What Gifts are Best for Caregivers of Persons with Dementia?
Friends and family feel awkward around people with FTD. This post provides concrete helpful ways to positively interact with persons with FTD.
Sundowning refers to behaviors seen in persons with dementia that usually occur at the end of the day. Many clinicians and caregivers/care partners seem resigned that this will simply happen and that there is nothing that can be done to prevent or manage it. Which is why I hate the term, and prefer to think…
Continue reading ➞ How to Deal with Sundowning: Myths and Management