Caregivers

The profile of caregivers is changing, and more young people are stepping up to care for aging parents and grandparents. It’s a trend that is going to continue as Baby Boomers age. A 2020 AARP survey found that 1 in 4 family caregivers are millennials – those born between 1981 and 1996. While traditional caregivers…

If you have a loved one with dementia, chances are good they may say things that don’t make sense, are inappropriate or even hurtful. It’s a frustrating, confusing and even embarrassing symptom of the disease, which causes deterioration of a person’s memory and cognitive function. Many caregivers have shared stories about how their once mild-mannered…

There’s a reason flight attendants tell us to put on our oxygen masks first before helping others. The simple fact is, if we run out of oxygen, we’re not going to be able to help anyone else. It’s a great metaphor for caregivers to follow. Too often caregivers put the needs of everyone else before…

When Leann Moss was caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s disease, her mother’s hands were often restless, picking at clothing until she rubbed holes in them. Such behavior is common in a person with dementia, and one of the many challenges caregivers face. If only she had known about Twiddle Muffs, Leann said. Twiddle Muffs…

With Valentine’s and Presidents Days tucked away for the year, you might be inclined to think that we’re finished with February holidays, but this is not so! In fact, the best of February holidays—occurring on Friday, February 21—will be celebrated for the remainder of the month, as that date marks National Caregiver Day.  Originated by Providers…

When Caregivers Have to Make Difficult Decisions for Their Parents When was the last time you were faced with making a tough decision? What do you remember feeling? Were you nervous? Tense? Anxious? What about hesitant? Whether the decision is about a change in career, a long distance move, a financial investment, or grappling with…

If you’ve never seen a toddler standing spellbound in front of television commercials during the holiday season, you’ve missed a very important life lesson. When my child was three, she’d turn around to her sister after each ad and shout, “I’m getting THAT for Christmas!”  I quickly learned that it didn’t matter what was being…

Have you ever thought about the importance of touch? Author Paula Cocozza states, “The pleasantness [of touch] encourages us to keep touching, nourishes babies and binds adults, and threads wellbeing into the fabric of our being.” We don’t think twice to hug our children when they’re crying, and it’s therapeutic to pet our dogs when…

All of us have fallen at one time or another. My own experiences include more than falling in childhood when learning to walk or ride a bicycle. Remember disco dancing? I cannot begin to describe the mortification I felt sliding across the dance floor when an overly enthusiastic partner lost hold of my hand. Or…