...Although Holly had only known my uncle as a sick and rather cantankerous elderly man, she’d grown to care deeply for him, even during his most difficult times. As he lay dying, Holly would stop by his room every chance she could. She stood by his deathbed Read more →

...Once my dad had moved to a nearby nursing home because of a failed brain surgery and Mom was still living in their apartment, it seemed that every time the phone rang past 5:00 p.m. there was trouble somewhere. Sometimes the call was from the nursing home because of a problem Dad had. Occasionally, it was Mom just checking in. Too often, however, it was the dispatcher for mom's personal alarm system. Read more →

...Avoid a confrontational tone or attitude. In fact, you might find it helpful to talk more generally about what’s going on in their life and maybe even in yours. Once establishing some level of comfort, try to find out what is behind this lack Read more →

...What to do? As with most dementia-related challenges, there are no miracles, and what works one day may not the next. However, there are some things that you can try. Most of these tips stem from increased knowledge about what can trigger rebellion in a person living with dementia. Let’s take a look. Read more →

...Even taking that into consideration, caregiving is more of an art than a science. Yes, we look for information and input from trained experts, but each day and each circumstance will require flexibility on our part, and we’ll often be making split-second decisions. Again, we do our best Read more →