Q. My father is 79 and is generally in good health. However, I’ve noticed he is sometimes forgetful and doesn’t always remember where things are around the house. Just last week, he was confused about what day it was. I don’t want to assume something more serious is...
Ask Joan: Options counseling for caregivers
Q. I am 76 years old and the primary caretaker of my wife, who has Alzheimer’s. While I love my wife and want to help her, there are days when I am exhausted and struggling, especially when I’ve been up all night with her. Our doctor suggested trying an adult day...
Ask Joan: Tips for helping to prevent dementia
Q: I read the other day that every three seconds someone develops dementia, and nearly 50 million people in the world are living with the disease. As I get older, I worry about developing Alzheimer’s disease. What can I do to keep my brain healthy? A: This...
Caring for those who help during National Family Caregivers Month
AgeSpan’s Family Caregiver Support Program offers caregivers counseling and advice, respite care scholarships, habilitation therapy, grandparent campership scholarships, family meeting facilitation, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias education and support, and relaxation events.
Comfort pets provide companionship to adults experiencing isolation, memory loss
By Stephen Anable, Communications Specialist Bernadette Cary, 87, is relaxing on her bed in her room at the Sutton Home for Women in Peabody, cuddling a new stuffed dog. It looks like a typical plush toy: blond, roughly a foot high, with an expression that suggests...
A Caregiver’s Journey: Roland’s Story
For Roland G. of Andover, the respite care he receives enhances his life immeasurably. His wife Diane, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2015, recently lost the ability to walk. “I was ready to ask for help,” he recalls. He’d been experiencing bouts of anxiety,...
Finding Support and Community While Caregiving During COVID
Like so many others, Kate P. has watched as her mother’s health has deteriorated over the past couple of years. This summer, the situation worsened. Her mother, age 77, has been struggling with failing mental health, dementias, and falling. She has gotten lost and...
Explaining the pandemic to someone with Alzheimer’s disease
Q: My elderly mother who has Alzheimer's disease lives about 12 hours away from me. In the past I would travel down to visit her three to four times a year. Due to the pandemic I wasn't able to be with her on Mother's Day. Under normal conditions I would never have...
Wandering Tips for Caregivers
6 in 10 people with dementia will wander. A person with Alzheimer's may not remember his or her name or address, and can become disoriented, even in familiar places. Wandering among people with dementia is dangerous. However, there are strategies and services to help...
Beware of fraudulent offers for COVID-19 testing
Beware of fraudulent offers for COVID-19 testing from door-to-door, grocery store, telephone and mail order offerings— It is probably a scam! Lawrence, MA: The Massachusetts Senior Medicare Patrol (MA SMP) Program warns the public to be wary of anyone other than a...