Can a Person with Dementia Live Alone? Recognizing the Need for Support
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Articles
Finding the Dementia Support Programs You Need
Caring for someone living with dementia is challenging on so many levels. For most of us, there are aspects to providing care that require skills, training and education we feel we just don’t have. There are aspects to disease education and managing behaviors that are difficult to know. And there is also the stress and strain of providing care -- which for many of us is something we do on top of working and having a family of our own.
Articles
Recognizing the Symptoms of Dementia with IDD
Diagnosing dementia is rarely straightforward, but can be even more challenging for those in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) community. Many of the most common symptoms of dementia such as language challenges and difficulty with coordination are often things people with IDD already struggle with. This can make it all the more difficult to separate symptoms of dementia from their pre-existing symptoms.
Articles
Helping an Older Loved One Living Alone with Dementia
Many assume that older adults who live alone inevitably transition into assisted living when diagnosed with dementia, but this is not the case. Around one third of people with dementia live on their own, in their own homes. While it does not pose as many concerns in the early-stages of dementia, this arrangement may become increasingly risky in the middle- and late-stages. As a caregiver, you may feel pressure to move in with your loved one or vice versa, or else find them an assisted living arrangement, even if your loved one does not want to leave their home.
Articles
5 Ways Caregivers Can Improve Relationship Strain with the Person They Care For
When we begin providing care for a loved one, our relationship with that person can take on a new meaning as our role in their life changes. Whether we are their spouse, child, sibling or friend, taking on the role of managing their care or helping them cope with a disease or condition comes with unique responsibilities and relational dynamics. In some cases, caring for a loved one may make our relationship with them stronger, but in others, the stresses of caregiving may lead to increased strain which in turn can negatively impact our relationship with a loved one.
Articles
How Do I know If?: Recognizing When a Loved One Needs More Support
If we are asking the question How do I know if… about a loved one’s care, it usually means the time to take action is now. But what if we do not even know the relevant questions to ask, let alone the best answer? We are bombarded with information from well-meaning family and friends, but don’t know how to tailor it to our own situations.
Articles
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.
Articles
Managing Finances for a Loved One with Dementia
Handling a loved one’s finances can be a difficult task, particularly when they have been diagnosed with dementia. In fact, the inability to handle finances is often one of the first signs that a loved one has the disease. They might pay bills more than once, forget to pay bills entirely, give money away unexpectedly or have trouble balancing their checkbook. Dementia can also leave a loved one open to financial risk and abuse, which can make it even more important for us to familiarize ourselves with how best to protect them from these threats.
Articles
Recognizing the Signs of Financial Abuse
It is important for all of us to know the signs of financial exploitation so we can help prevent this from happening to our loved ones, such as our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or dear friends. There are several warning signs to look for and then to question further.
