The holiday season can be both a time of great joy and extra stress, especially for older adults and their caregivers. Holidays represent family, emotion, memories of times past as well as the reality that things aren’t how they once were. The good news is that there are several strategies that help manage stress.
Often, bringing up the person’s memory and spending a few minutes discussing pleasant memories can benefit the senior.
While most of us have been taught to “never tell a lie,” especially to our parents, this advice may be counterproductive when caring for someone who suffers from moderate dementia.
One of the most difficult conversations you may have with an aging parent is confronting their diminishing ability to drive.
In order to tell if your parents’ new behavior could be signs of dementia, it’s important to know what to look for. There are a few basic symptoms that will help you determine if you need to seek professional advice.
For many of our elderly parents, the idea of bringing in outside care to assist with daily life is a foreign concept. Resistance is a natural and expected response to the idea that they have reached the point of needing help.
