Columns

Do you know the dirty little secret of caregiving? Here it is: No one loves it. None of us like to admit how much of a struggle it is, because it makes us sound like bad people. But caregivers who hate caregiving aren’t bad, just honest. Allow me to quickly…

By the time this column is published, Hurricane Laura will have made landfall. As I write this, all eyes are on Louisiana and Texas, but Arkansas and the mid-Mississippi region also will be affected. Of course, today we have learned the extent of devastation, but on this side of…

In 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a survey of more than 100,000 people regarding their personal health. According to Jacob Bentley, associate professor of clinical psychology at Seattle Pacific University and a co-author of the study, caregivers had a 26% higher risk of lacking healthcare…

“I wish to do something great and wonderful, but I must start by doing the little things like they were great and wonderful.” — Albert Einstein With more than 5 million people in the United States living with Alzheimer’s disease, most of us either know someone who has been…

This year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) revealed surprising news about risk factors related to Alzheimer’s, adolescents, young adults, and diagnosis. For years, researchers have believed and touted that on average, Alzheimer’s patients are diagnosed at 80, and symptoms appear after 60. However, new research reveals that the…

Physical exercise plays a significant role in defense against Alzheimer’s disease, according to an article from Biomedical Reports. Aging is a cognitive impairment risk factor, but aerobic and other physical exercise and activities decrease risks that often accompany diseases affecting the brain. Those factors include: obesity, hypertension leading to…

Taking control of an uncontrollable situation Alzheimer’s disease, thief that it is, steals control. The loss of one’s memory is more than the dissipation of a series of compiled experiences. Losing memory encompasses everything that was once learned and some things that just came naturally, like swallowing a pill…

We were hopeful that COVID-19 would be long gone by now, but unfortunately, it continues its persistent trek across the country. Elderly parents are missing their families, who have been barred from visiting nursing facilities due to the possibility of spreading COVID-19. Seniors are feeling a little lost without interaction…

We’re in an election year in the U.S., no news there. If your mail experience is similar to mine, you already are more than aware of this. A few years ago, a retiring mailman explained to me that election year deliveries are more taxing on his colleagues and him than…

Caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease is challenging enough without caustic, inaccurate criticisms leveled against the caregiver. Sadly, it happens, and what’s even sadder is that we caregivers are often the culprits behind it. Avoid comparing yourself to another caregiver Comparing yourself to another caregiver may provide you with…