Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia

Ask Joan - Weekly Q and A Column | Caregivers Connect | Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia | General | General Ideas and Support | Healthy Aging | Inspiring Aging | Resources

Ask Joan: Learning to cook for one can be a challenge
BySusan Geier September 3, 2024September 3, 2024

Q. Last winter, my beautiful wife of 54 years passed away suddenly. I miss so many things about her and am trying hard to adjust to my new life. My wife was an amazing cook, so I never wanted for a meal. Now, I’m struggling because I only know how to cook a few things…

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Ask Joan - Weekly Q and A Column | Caregivers Connect | Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia | General | General Ideas and Support | Healthy Aging | Inspiring Aging | Resources

Ask Joan: You too can go ‘for the gold’
BySusan Geier September 3, 2024September 3, 2024

Q. This summer, I enjoyed watching the Olympics and seeing so many athletes do remarkable things. Whether it was gymnastics, swimming, archery, or anything in between, I was inspired seeing people “go for the gold.” I know my competitive sports days are behind me, but I can’t help but think of how I might get…

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Ask Joan - Weekly Q and A Column | Caregivers Connect | Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia | General | General Ideas and Support | Healthy Aging | Inspiring Aging | Resources

Ask Joan: Caregivers need to tap many ‘lists’
BySusan Geier August 12, 2024August 12, 2024

Q. Earlier this year, my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She has her good days and her bad days and recently agreed to join my family in our home. I treasure my time with my mother. At the same time, I find that most of the work needed to keep her safe falls on…

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Ask Joan - Weekly Q and A Column | Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia | Changing Aging | For Families and Caregivers | Healthy Aging | Resources

Ask Joan: Understanding the warning signs of Alzheimer’s
BySusan Geier June 3, 2024June 3, 2024

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 happening, but I’m not sure what to…

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Ask Joan - Weekly Q and A Column | Caregivers Connect | Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia | For Families and Caregivers | General | General Ideas and Support | Resources

Ask Joan: Options counseling for caregivers
ByJane Albert April 16, 2024April 22, 2024

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 health program, but I wonder…

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Ask Joan - Weekly Q and A Column | Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia | Resources

Ask Joan: Tips for helping to prevent dementia
BySusan Geier June 5, 2023June 5, 2023

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 is a major public health issue for many reasons, not…

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Ask Joan - Weekly Q and A Column | Caregiver Events and Workshops | Caregivers Connect | Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia

Caring for those who help during National Family Caregivers Month
ByJane Albert October 31, 2022November 7, 2022

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.

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Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia | General Ideas and Support

Comfort pets provide companionship to adults experiencing isolation, memory loss
BySusan Geier October 12, 2021

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 affection or anticipation. Then, abruptly, the dog comes “alive.”…

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Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia

A Caregiver’s Journey: Roland’s Story
BySusan Geier December 23, 2020

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, the result of a self-imposed “do it all” mentality that can…

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Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia

Finding Support and Community While Caregiving During COVID
BySusan Geier November 23, 2020

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 had accidents while driving. Kate lives in Rhode Island and works full-time while her mother lives alone in North Reading, Mass. Kate and her husband,…

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