Family Caregiver

Maintaining a safe and secure living environment will enable seniors with Alzheimer's disease to remain in the community for as long as possible, but additional home safety modifications are usually required as memory issues and dementia behaviors worsen.

Many family caregivers eventually realize that their aging loved ones are no longer fit to drive. If an elder refuses to stop driving and maintains that they’re still safe behind the wheel, you may need a backup plan for keeping them off the road.

Adult day care services can be a lifesaver for stressed caregivers, but seniors often reject this idea for respite. A veteran caregiver shares what NOT to do when pitching a senior center and offers tips for getting a loved one to try it out.

Use this list of useful organizations for seniors and their caregivers to find the support and resources you need to help you care for your aging loved one.

Dementia is progressive, meaning symptoms change and worsen over time. Anticipating each stage may help prepare you as a caregiver.

During middle-stage dementia, people may experience more memory loss and changes in behavior, meaning they need more assistance with activities of daily living.

Family caregivers share their best self-care tips, pieces of wisdom and words of encouragement for peers who are caring for aging loved ones (and themselves) while coping with the coronavirus pandemic.

Eligibility for the PCAFC has been expanded to veterans of all eras, which means that more caregivers may be able to receive benefits like counseling, respite, and VA stipends for providing care.

Millions of Americans step into the role of family caregiver without really thinking about this label or fully understanding the responsibilities and sacrifices that come with it.

While many family caregivers might consider writing about their experiences to be a chore, there is something especially therapeutic about putting things down on paper and punching words out on a keyboard.

I had heard the benefits of personally meaningful music in dementia care. Last Saturday, I brought headphones and an iPod loaded with old music to the rest home for Mum. The results were astounding.

Both Mum’s memory and physical stamina seem to evade her these days. As a dementia caregiver, it’s my job to find something to help both her mood and mobility.

Mom can still enjoy the comics section of the newspaper, but her granddaughter found a new way to appeal to her sense of humor. Surprisingly, a mix of classic art and snarky internet trends brought these two generations together through laughter.

Even though Mum didn’t remember the details of our picture-perfect day together, she was very happy. With dementia, the memories may not stick anymore, but the feelings and emotions attached to them still linger.

Christmas has come and gone, but in Mum’s mind the planning has just begun. When her anxiety returns and her questions become repetitive, white lies are what alleviate her worries.

As Mum’s memory fades, the realities of her everyday life seem to go as well. It’s like acting in a strange play with half of the cues missing.

For the last ten years, Mum and I have been navigating a different kind of relationship. Things turn into a kind of dance with dementia, and sometimes it’s awfully hard.

I could tell Mum was nervous, but with her new bathing suit and some gentle encouragement, her confidence grew. Surprisingly, a day at the pool left her feeling marvelous.

Helping a loved one with dementia find activities that match their interests and physical and mental abilities can be trying. Adapting old hobbies to be simpler and more immediately rewarding can help patients engage and find their "flow."

Both dementia patients and their caregivers experience an ever-changing roller coaster of emotions. The key is being able to appreciate the good times and helping to guide each other through the bad.