A few years ago, I was corresponding with a dementia specialist in the United Kingdom about an article I was writing for the Journal of Dementia Care (by the way, it is a terrific journal with practical ideas). We each thought the other had funny ways of saying things but over time, she helped me edit my article for the British audience I was addressing.
ElderCarelink Blog
Create a meaningful visit while helping out an older adult
by Kathryn Kilpatrick, M.A. CCC/SLPFebruary 21st, 2011 at 5:11 am
If you had someone just stop by for a visit and tell you they were there to help, how would you handle the offer? If an older adult does not like to ask for help or perhaps cannot think of anything that needs to be done, you may need to assist the person create an ongoing list of things that might need to be done.
“Ten Glorious Seconds” tender and real
by Carol Bradley Bursack, Editor-in-ChiefFebruary 11th, 2011 at 3:06 am
Many of us who have loved someone with dementia have experienced what I call “moments of clarity,” during which the person who seems lost to dementia suddenly “comes back,” if only for a few seconds. I experienced several of these episodes with my dad, who had dementia due to a failed brain surgery, and they remain some of my most precious memories.
“Acting to the finish?” A new caregiver term of endearment, or is it something else?
by Isabel Fawcett, SPHRFebruary 10th, 2011 at 4:33 pm
Misery and company
It’s been said that misery enjoys company. Regardless, I never would have imagined that any sane individual might project erroneous and/or biased perceptions onto any caregiver. A caregiver? Would that be caregivers to chronically ill elderly individuals? Would that also be frail elderly individuals who have multiple, long-standing medical chronic disease diagnoses?
“Families on the Brink” and Eldercarelink.com: talking with our elders about choices
by Carol Bradley Bursack, Editor-in-ChiefFebruary 10th, 2011 at 6:00 am
Since the oldest baby boomers started turning 65, we’ve had a blizzard of newspaper articles and TV shows about what is popularly called the “Silver Tsunami.” These news features seem to lean in one of two directions – that of improving our own health, if we are in the older group of boomers, or that of “what to do about our aging parents,” if we are belong to the younger group of boomers.
