Caregiver Guilt: How to Stop Feeling Guilty About Elderly Parents
…Get used to it—the guilt, I mean. The incessant phone call thing was just one of the many games I had to play as a dementia caregiver. When my mother would ring the first...
Related StoriesHow to Stay Sane During the Holidays as a Sandwich Generation CaregiverHandling Controlling Elderly ParentsHaving “The Talk”: How to Discuss End-of-Life Issues with Parents (Source: Minding Our Elders)
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 28, 2022 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Tags: Aging Caregiving Grief Guilt aging parents caregiving guilt Source Type: blogs
Caregiver Guilt: How to Stop Feeling Guilty About Elderly Parents
Photo credit Baptista ime James
...Get used to it—the guilt, I mean. The incessant phone call thing was just one of the many games I had to play as a dementia caregiver. When my mother would ring the first time, I’d answer, chat, and see how she was doing. The second time, I’d gently try to let her know that she had just called. The third time, well, sometimes it just seemed better for me to ignore it. I knew she would be embarrassed (or think I was lying, depending on the day) if I told her she’d called me three times in the last 15 minutes. It seemed kinder to just not answer the phone and let her forget that sh...
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 28, 2022 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
Why Do Some People with Dementia Who Never Swore Use Coarse Language?
Dear Carol: My mother always considered swearing cheap and a sign that people couldn’t find the right words to express themselves. Even so, she didn’t chastise others unless they strayed into obscene territory. Now,...
Related Stories10 Things Not to Say to a Person Living with Dementia10 Tips to Help You “Unplug” from Caregiving10 Steps Toward Gratitude During Difficult Times (Source: Minding Our Elders)
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 27, 2022 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Tags: Alzheimer's Caregiving Dementia care Alzheimers dementia swearing Source Type: blogs
Why Do Some People with Dementia Who Never Swore Use Coarse Language?
Dear Carol: My mother always considered swearing cheap and a sign that people couldn’t find the right words to express themselves. Even so, she didn’t chastise others unless they strayed into obscene territory. Now, the world has turned upside down! She’s in mid-stage dementia and is coming out with words that we didn’t even know she’d heard. What causes this? She was a cheerful person, certainly not “repressed” as some people suggest. Do you know a better explanation? – TL
Continue reading on Inforum to learn more about why your older adult who never swore might suddenly spew obscenities:
Minding O...
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 27, 2022 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
10 Tips to Help You “Unplug” from Caregiving
.. The truth is that all caregivers struggle with these concerns, and many allow them to get in the way of taking the respite breaks they so badly need and deserve. Thanks to the...
Related Stories10 Things Not to Say to a Person Living with DementiaWhy Do Some People with Dementia Who Never Swore Use Coarse Language?Geriatric Care Managers Can Help Busy Caregivers (Source: Minding Our Elders)
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 26, 2022 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Tags: Caregiving Dementia care Mental Health Self-care Source Type: blogs
Caregiving: Could Your Body Language Be Making Your Loved One Anxious?
Dear Candid Caregiver (Carol): My parents were always open about their long-term plans for retirement, saying that they’d worked hard, and retirement was going to be the payoff. Travel was huge on the horizon. Now, my dad has been diagnosed with mixed dementia, which, in his case, means Alzheimer’s and possibly Lewy body dementia, so their dreams are pretty much canceled. Mom is, for the most part, a good caregiver, but she’s resentful about what happened, and why wouldn’t she be? She has a right to these feelings except that her resentment shows through to Dad through her body language as well the tone of her voic...
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 26, 2022 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
10 Things Not to Say to a Person Living with Dementia
Providing care for someone who lives with any type of dementia — whether it’s Alzheimer’s, vascular, Lewy body, or any of the myriad incarnations — can be intimidating. We watch helplessly as someone we...
Related StoriesWhy Do Some People with Dementia Who Never Swore Use Coarse Language?10 Steps Toward Gratitude During Difficult Times10 Tips to Help You “Unplug” from Caregiving (Source: Minding Our Elders)
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 25, 2022 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Tags: Alzheimer's Caregiving Memory loss Alzheimers dementia dementia care Source Type: blogs
10 Things Not to Say to a Person Living with Dementia
Providing care for someone who lives with any type of dementia — whether it’s Alzheimer’s, vascular, Lewy body, or any of the myriad incarnations — can be intimidating. We watch helplessly as someone we love changes dramatically in how they view the world, and in the words and actions that they can understand. These changes can lead to situations where we unintentionally say and do things that make life harder for everyone involved.
...It seems natural to ask your dad who is living with Alzheimer’s about events from his past. However, doing so directly can be a problem. Why? Because he may not remember th...
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 25, 2022 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
10 Steps Toward Gratitude During Difficult Times
It’s easy to feel grateful when life is going well, and certainly, it’s desirable to acknowledge life at its best with appropriate gratitude. What’s not easy is finding gratitude when life is hard. Is...
Related Stories10 Things Not to Say to a Person Living with DementiaWhy Do Some People with Dementia Who Never Swore Use Coarse Language?Geriatric Care Managers Can Help Busy Caregivers (Source: Minding Our Elders)
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 24, 2022 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Tags: Alzheimer's Caregiving Family Gratitude Holidays dementia Thanksgiving Source Type: blogs
10 Steps Toward Gratitude During Difficult Times
It's easy to feel grateful when life is going well, and certainly, it’s desirable to acknowledge life at its best with appropriate gratitude. What’s not easy is finding gratitude when life is hard. Is it even realistic to try? Yes. Discovering gratitude during difficult times can be a giant step toward peace.
View the slideshow on HealthCentral for more about the benefits of gratitude - even when life is tough:
Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. "For anyone having to walk the last segments of life with a loved one, read this.” …Delores
Shop Silverts Adaptable clothing:
...
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 24, 2022 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
When Parents with Dementia Don ’ t Realize They Need Help
Your once easy-going dad now thinks you’re stealing from him. Your ever-frugal mom is buying odd things she finds on the Internet. You know that these types of personality changes can be signs of dementia,...
Related StoriesWhat People with Dementia Wish Their Caregivers Knew10 Steps Toward Gratitude During Difficult Times10 Things Not to Say to a Person Living with Dementia (Source: Minding Our Elders)
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 23, 2022 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Tags: Aging Alzheimer's Brain Health Caregiving Source Type: blogs
When Parents with Dementia Don't Realize They Need Help
Your once easy-going dad now thinks you’re stealing from him. Your ever-frugal mom is buying odd things she finds on the Internet. You know that these types of personality changes can be signs of dementia, yet when you offer to help, you're vehemently rebuffed. How do you convince your cognitively fragile parents to accept support? How hard do you push? There’s no easy answer, but there are steps you can take.
View slideshow about helping parents who don't want help on HealthCentral (Carol is the Candid Caregiver):
Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. "For anyone having to walk th...
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 23, 2022 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
What People with Dementia Wish Their Caregivers Knew
People living with dementia are the only ones who really understand what it’s like to live with their form of the disease, whether it’s Alzheimer’s or another type such as frontotemporal (FTD) or Lewy body (LBD). Sadly, the ability to communicate becomes compromised by dementia. That being said, care partners can, if we take time to search out the meaning behind their words or actions, continue to improve the care provided. Here are some tips that can help you.
View the complete slideshow on HealthCentral to learn more about what people living with dementia wish we knew:
Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their P...
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 22, 2022 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
Overcoming Denial to Seek Potential Dementia Diagnosis
An article in the UK Telegraph reported on a survey showing that two-thirds of people over the age of 50 are more afraid of developing dementia than of getting cancer. Other surveys show similar percentages.
One reason for this intense fear of Alzheimer's is obvious. While many types of cancer can be cured, most types of dementia cannot. However, another reason is that the idea of being betrayed by our brains to the point that we are essentially lost in the disease is abhorrent to most of us. This fear, unfortunately, tends to make many people less than willing to see a physician for dementia testing even whe...
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 21, 2022 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
Couple Affected by Dementia Wants to Express Thanksgiving Gratitude
Dear Carol: My husband has Alzheimer’s and even though we could afford a care facility, I want to keep him home as long as possible. This year, for the first time, we’ll go to our son’s home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. It will be delightful, I know, but in the past, our local extended family always came to our home for holiday meals. This is a big change, so we’re already missing the old days when we could host these lovely times. Your columns give us hope that there can be some dignity in this process of letting go of what was and appreciating what we have now. To help us do this, we’ve de...
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 20, 2022 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
