Dementia
Purging the Caregiver’s “House” in the New Year, Kondo-style
You may have heard about the new craze in home organization, developed by Marie Kondo, an organizing consultant and international best-selling author of “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up”. Her book and new Netflix series are both dedicated to teaching folks how to declutter their homes, her philosophy being “keep only items that spark joy.” Sorting…
Read MoreA Change of Perspective
Written by Dr. Charles Edwards I recently read the book entitled Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, written by brothers Chip and Dan Heath. At first I was dismissive and (self-righteously) thought the authors should meet our Memory Center families if they wanted to catch a glimpse of people being faced with…
Read MoreChanging for the Better
In the summer of 1993 my mother was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in within two weeks. Those days were filled with medical appointments, tests and hospital visits. My sisters and I were trying to sort through all of the information that was coming at us while trying to help my parents make some…
Read MoreA Gift Worth Giving
This holiday season give yourself the GIFT of making the most of celebrating with your loved one with dementia. G– Give your visitors the opportunity to spend time with your loved one by having an assigned “buddy” to guide your family member during a celebration. This is comforting, especially if the buddy uses a soft…
Read MoreThank you, Caregivers
Every November we celebrate Thanksgiving, but did you know it also happens to be National Caregivers’ Month? It could not be more fitting to celebrate both of these in the same month. Caregiving is often a thankless calling, but we are so grateful for what you do and want to take a moment to tell…
Read MoreLooking Beyond Retirement: Planning for the 4th Quarter
Many patients are faced with a challenging transition following retirement, and planning for this inevitable time in our lives is often overlooked. While most prepare financially for retirement, and many plan for the end of their life by filling out living wills, health care power of attorney paperwork, etc., little thought is often given to…
Read MoreHard of Hearing– Hard on US
“There is nothing wrong with my memory.” This is often where we start with a new patient. Judy, a silver-haired, pleasant but tentative new patient, who appears younger than her 76 years, comes into the office for evaluation at the request of her husband, Tom. She is not happy with him- or with us. Tom…
Read MoreLetting the Outside In
Finding outside caregivers for your loved one can be integral in helping to keep them living at home longer, or to provide more personal 1:1 care at a long term care center. This can take many forms- a volunteer from church coming to the house a few hours each week, a home health aide 5…
Read MoreCaught by surprise… twice
Earlier this year, a long-time patient moved out of his home and into a memory care facility. It was a good decision. The right move at that stage in his illness. He is in a safe, secure and caring environment as he could no longer live safely at home. But at the clinic something surprised…
Read MorePerceptions
A young man was referred to us this week and his story and subsequent evaluation and treatment changed my perspective forever. It highlighted that all of us who care for patients with memory challenges should begin with placing ourselves inside the mind of the patient and to help us understand that the world they perceive is not always the…
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