NYT: How to Care for a Loved One With Dementia: 5 Expert Tips

Excerpts from a recent article in the New York Times: “The details of [actor] Gene Hackman’s final days may never be known. But officials in Santa Fe, N.M., said on Friday that it appeared that Mr. Hackman, who had advanced Alzheimer’s…, had spent about a week alone after his wife, who was his caregiver, died at home of a rare viral infection. … Laura N. Gitlin, a behavioral scientist at Drexel University…, said that when a patient is diagnosed with dementia, their loved ones rarely receive all the information they need. ‘No one really explains to the family what the course of the disease may look like, how to prepare,’ she said. ‘No one checks in on the caregiver.‘” (emphasis added)

The article offers five tips to consider if you become a caregiver for a loved one with dementia — staying social; setting up a caregiving team; seeking help from an expert such as a geriatric social worker; considering technology that can help monitor your loved one; and practicing self-care. A link to the full article follows.

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“The Heartbreak and Hazards of Alzheimer’s Caregiving”

Illustration of two people sitting far apart on couch

source: Carmen Segovia/Scientific American

“Scientific American” published an article about Alzheimer’s caregiving. Despite the title, I think the article applies to caregiving of anyone with a neurological disorder and perhaps all caregiving! Here are some excerpts.

Excerpt:

The vast majority of caregivers know full well that their spouses or parents are ill, yet they still behave in ways they know are counterproductive: arguing, blaming, insisting on reality, and taking symptoms personally. Yes, Cathy understood that she was dealing with a disease, with someone suffering from delusions and hallucinations, but when Frank [with Alzheimer’s], panicked by imaginary thieves, refused to crack open a window, Cathy [his wife] fumed with resentment, and that feeling gradually overcame her desire to be understanding and reasonable. … [Frank] lost his ability to see his wife as a complete person.

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Caregiver’s Advice – “20 Lessons Learned the Hard Way”

A local Parkinson’s Disease (PD) caregiver support group member recently offered her highest recommendation for a book titled “Advice From a Parkinson’s Wife: 20 Lessons Learned the Hard Way,” by Barbara Sheklin Davis (2019). We encourage you to buy it! Barbara authored five books before this one. She was a Parkinson’s care partner for over twenty years. Her latest book is “Advice from a Parkinson’s Widow.”

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“Advice From a Parkinson’s Wife: 20 Lessons…” (book review)

Advice From a Parkinson's Wife Book cover

Source: Barbara Sheklin Davis

Our friend Denise Dagan shared her book review of “Advice From a Parkinson’s Wife: 20 Lessons Learned the Hard Way,” by Barbara Sheklin Davis (2019).  Though “Parkinson’s” is in the title, this book will be of interest to caregivers coping with Lewy body dementia and the other atypical parkinsonism disorders.  While “wife” is in the title, this book will be of interest to all caregivers regardless of whether they are caring for a spouse or not.  Denise highly recommends the book and calls is a “quick read” (at 94 pages).  Her comments are shared here, and then Denise provides a summary of the 20 lessons.

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