3 Common Causes of Caregiver Guilt, and How to Manage Them The concept of “caregiver guilt” is an odd one. Providing care for a loved one with a long-term health condition is a wonderful, selfless act, and caregivers undoubtedly devote considerable time and energy to provide the physical, mental and emotional support their loved one requires. And yet, the majority of caregivers report that they frequently experience feelings of guilt. Read more
Self-Identifying as a Caregiver: How the Truth May Actually Set You Free! Are you a caregiver to a loved one? It’s surprising how many of us are quick to answer “no” to that question. Sure, we help a loved one out a few times a week, take them to appointments and do their shopping. But for some reason, the majority of people acting in a caregiver role are hesitant to consider themselves “caregivers.” In fact, according to an AARP Caregiver Identification study, only about 19 percent of caregivers in the country are willing to identify themselves as such. Read more
Tips for Better Communication with a Loved One with Dementia As caregivers, we may find ourselves struggling to communicate with a loved one in the way we used to. It may be difficult to understand what a loved one is trying to say, and in the busyness of everyday life, we may find ourselves growing frustrated and impatient. However, these kinds of feelings may in turn affect a loved one, leading to a communication breakdown and potential relationship strain. To avoid this, it’s important to foster good listening skills, patience and respect. Read more
Communicating with Your Loved One: Strategies for Care Partners Impacted by Dementia As an individual goes through their journey with dementia, there are changes that can impact their comprehension and expression. These changes in communication can often cause frustration among care partners. This webinar will share information about the changes some individuals with dementia may experience in communication, and will offer strategies and tips for families to communicate more effectively with a loved one with dementia. Read more
How Caregiver Support Can Combat Rising Stress Levels We all know that caregiving for a loved one can be stressful, but it seems that caregivers may be feeling the strain more than ever before. Nearly two-thirds of family and friend caregivers consider their situation to be moderately-to-highly stressful, according to the recently released Caregiving in the U.S. 2020 report from National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. Read more
Navigating the Different Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease as a Caregiver Alzheimer's Disease develops over time, causing changes in the brain that affect a person's memory, thinking and behavior. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's Disease, and 16 million Americans serve as unpaid caregivers to loved ones with Alzheimer’s Disease or related dementias. With every change to a loved one’s health as the disease progresses over time, these 16 million caregivers are along for the journey right there with their loved one. Read more
My Mother’s Caregiver: Here to Serve Writer and photographer Mark A. Lee joins us for a guest blog, highlighting his current role as his mother's caregiver and excerpting his upcoming book on his past experiences caregiving for his father, "Raising Dad" Read more
It’s OK to Feel: The Emotional Side of Caregiving The reality is that caregivers experience a wide range of emotions, from ambivalence and resentment to anxiety, grief, loneliness, fear and even joy—often within the same day. We are conditioned to believe, as one family caregiver so eloquently stated, that we “must always smile and never complain…" And yet these emotions are normal, they are healthy, and we need to find ways to name them, to feel them and to express them. Read more
When Parents Weren’t There For You: What Are Your Responsibilities? There is a tie that binds the adult child to their parent, be it a sense of loyalty, duty or compassion. So how does the adult child provide care for their aging parent after this type of childhood? If you are in this situation, you may wonder if you should find it within yourself to take on the role of caregiver. But if you do, what will that role look like? Read more
Understanding Different Types of Dementia When most people hear the word “dementia,” one of the first things that comes to mind is “Alzheimer’s.” However, Alzheimer’s is just one cause of dementia, which is the umbrella term for decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills that significantly impacts daily life. If a loved one is experiencing memory issues, Alzheimer’s could be a potential diagnosis, but there are four other common types of dementia that should also be considered: Lewy body, frontotemporal, vascular and mixed. Read more
