Family members and friends of nursing home residents often pull together to form organizations known as family councils. Family councils, very simply, are organizations put together by and for family and friends of nursing home residents. These organizations typically consist of half a dozen or more individuals who meet on a monthly basis and who [...]
While aggressive behavior may indicate that you need to have your loved one assessed, you should be sure to spend plenty of time investigating your loved one’s environment to be sure that other factors aren’t the source of the aggressive behavior. For instance, if your father lives at an assisted living facility, you should be [...]
When a physician determines that your loved one has only six months or less to live, the physician can call-in hospice to provide care for him or her. Very simply, hospice is an organization that serves individuals with terminal illnesses by providing palliative care and support for both the individual and the individual’s family members. [...]
Unfortunately, those living Alzheimer’s disease or dementia—because of their conditions—do not always have much say over the types of medications doctors prescribe them. To explain, the issues they experience with their memories do not put them in a great position to describe or explain the effects of medications to their doctors, as there is always [...]
While Pick’s Disease may not be extremely common among the general population, those with loved ones who suffer from the disease would be loath to say the disease is not an issue of utmost importance. According to the National Institute of Health, Pick’s Disease is a rare form of dementia that affects nerve cells. Unfortunately, [...]
From time to time, caregivers have questions about the best way to communicate the diagnosis of a loved one to other family members. Indeed, news of a diagnosis can be unsettling and disturbing to family members, so such a situation should be handled with care. Because every individual handles news differently, a blanket answer will [...]
As a caretaker, you will undoubtedly experience an array of emotions when providing your loved one with day to day care. Some days, you will feel joy and appreciation while other days, you will feel a host of other emotions—emotions that are not necessarily welcome. Negative emotions such as frustration, overwhelm, sorrow, and—especially—guilt crop-up from [...]
As a caregiver, you will undoubtedly notice that your loved one has both “good days” and “bad.” “Good days” simply refer to those days during which your loved one’s symptoms seem imperceptible. He or she recognized friends, family members, and daily settings and has little to no difficulty remembering the locations of objects around the [...]
As your loved on begins showing signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease or dementia, you'll likely want to go ahead and have an Ohio elder law attorney draft an advance directive. An advance directive can play a major role in determining the treatment for your loved one as he or she begins loses capacity to [...]
While most of us may feel we have a clear understanding of the word “agitation,” a quick review of the word’s definition can provide a fresh perspective—and perhaps even insight—on how to help a loved one who appears emotional overwhelmed. -“Extreme emotional disturbance.” (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language) -“A stirring up or [...]