Alzheimer's and Dementia Care

When one member of the family has been diagnosed with dementia the dynamic will inevitably change, and some questions will come up like, "Who will make the decisions now that dad cannot? Who will give advice now that mom is unable to? Who will provide the care for your family member? And will there be help in sharing that burden of care?" Emotions can run very high, and family life can suddenly feel chaotic. This is pretty...

When there's a diagnosis of dementia in your family everything changes. There's less predictability there's added confusion and the person with dementia needs more attention. Holiday events can get thrown on their ear. but all is not lost. We have some helpful strategies for you to plan a great holiday. And this might not come as a huge surprise, but flexibility is a key to a successful holiday event.

For many families holi...

When we talk about dementia we often focus on the person who's been diagnosed, but caregivers also experienced tremendous changes in their lives as a result of this diagnosis.  In fact studies have shown that people who care for those who have dementia are at risk of developing depression and illness themselves. A 2009 study by the National Alliance for Caregiving and the AARP found that caregivers immune systems are compr...

Today we'd like to talk about planning outings with a loved one who has dementia. Taking the time to do something special will benefit your loved one by breaking up the week's routine, socializing a bit, and keeping him or her active and engaged. However, the progression of dementia will dictate what's doable for your loved one. But by managing expectations and doing a little planning outings can be fun for everyone.

Proper...

So one of the many questions we get that Thoughtfulcare is how do I connect with my dad? He has dementia. And we tell them that the goal is to create an enjoyable experience so that you can spend quality time together. And it might not be perfect in your eyes, but it will be so valuable to your dad. It's easiest if we meet the person with dementia where they are, not where you think they should be. So accept them for who t...

As you may know, dementia is a progressive disease and having a plan of care so very important. But now we need to look at the costs of care and the available assets to pay for it. Because caregiving can be quite expensive and your family will want to anticipate what's on the horizon. Now this conversation is best done as soon as possible after the diagnosis. Now the term costs is associated with both monetary cost and tim...

Why do you need to plan for the progression of dementia? Well dementia's progressive disease. So this means that the need for care will change as the disease changes. And so we want to give you an inside look at a tool that we use in our professional services. It's called a plan of care. So what is the plan of care? The plan of care is a set of documents that will give a caregiver immediate access to all facets of a loved ...

Can you possibly prepare for the progression of dementia? You know dementia often means that those who are diagnosed gradually lose the ability to manage their day to day lives. So two questions come to mind. How can caregivers and family members help a loved one with dementia feel taken care of? And how does one take control of a potentially chaotic situation? So in this presentation we'll look at how to address life's de...

Mom's been diagnosed with dementia, now what do we do? You know every family with a loved one who has been diagnosed with dementia will have a host of questions including this one, so we've tailored this presentation to those family members who are new to caregiving for a loved one with memory issues and these tips are intended to share our expertise with you so that you can be better prepared for what lies ahead. So what ...