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Is Routine the Key to Good Elder Home Care?
Your name Your email Subject Your message (optional) Knowing how to care for your aging loved one is difficult. Is it better for them to have a regimented routine? Or would it be better to let them (and help them) make decisions that are right for them? The answer may be: It depends. We prefer […]
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Common Alzheimer’s and Dementia Behaviors: Appetite Loss
Your name Your email Subject Your message (optional) Your husband sits at the kitchen table, thumbing through an old golf magazine for the umpteenth time. It’s about noon. You’ve prepared a nice, little lunch for him — just his favorite soup and sandwich. He looks it over, but 20 minutes later the soup is cold […]
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Common Alzheimer’s and Dementia Behaviors: Sleep Issues
Your name Your email Subject Your message (optional) Before I met my life partner/care partner, Brian LeBlanc, he lived alone. He had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and the sleep disturbances were already growing more frequent and severe. He was scared. It wasn’t just difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. At times, vivid dreams […]
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Have You Ever Considered a ‘Living Memorial Service’?
Your name Your email Subject Your message (optional) Brian and I were talking the other day about his final wishes. It’s likely that Brian, my life partner/care partner who lives with Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, will not be coherent or communicative as the end draws near. We’ve made peace with that. But, no matter […]
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What is a Living Will?
Your name Your email Subject Your message (optional) Do you have strong opinions about extraordinary life-sustaining measures? Have you ever said to yourself, “If she needs a machine to keep her alive, what’s the point?” Has a sibling ever joked to you, “If they ever try to put a tube in my throat to feed […]
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Preparing for a Dementia-Friendly Worship Service
Your name Your email Subject Your message (optional) The hymns are unfamiliar. The scripture is being read from an unfamiliar translation. The pastor’s sermon is long and hard to follow. This can be a jarring experience for many people. For those with dementia it can add to a sense of isolation they may already feel. […]