New Alzheimer’s disease drug met with more scrutiny than optimism
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in 18 years, a drug called aducanumab, sold under the brand name Aduhelm. The president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association, Harry Johns, declared this new drug a victory...
Dementia is not a disease, it is a group of symptoms
There is a lot of confusion surrounding dementia. For starters, many people mistakenly believe that dementia is a disease on its own when, in fact, it’s an overall term that describes a group of symptoms associated with the decline in thinking skills severe enough to...
Hospice as an option for dementia care
Talking about hospice care can bring about uncomfortable feelings for many, often rooted in a lack of knowledge and misconceptions. It’s no wonder that many avoid thinking about or discussing it with family or physicians for as long as possible. However, I would like...
The role of the color purple in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Awareness
You may have noticed the color purple getting a lot of attention these days. In addition to being the official color of Alzheimer’s awareness, it made more big headlines during the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony earlier this year when Vice President Kamala Harris...
The importance of self-care as a dementia caregiver
“Self-care” is a buzz term these days. If you spend any time on social media, you’re likely to run across a handful of posts that talk about it. However, unlike the popular term used by influencers, self-care doesn’t only look like sneaking away for a bubble bath and...
Combating dementia denial through Dementia Awareness
Let’s talk about an important topic that impacts most families touched by dementia, denial. To truly understand why it happens, it’s important to first get to the root of it. To put it simply, the idea of someone you love or care about suffering or experiencing...
Tips for prevention of dementia symptoms
It is not uncommon that I get asked if dementia can be prevented. If you’ve been wondering about this yourself, you’re not alone. It can be scary to think about possibly receiving this diagnosis someday. Unfortunately, most causes of dementia symptoms are beyond our...
Using nostalgia to keep people with dementia engaged
Keeping someone with dementia symptoms engaged can be a real challenge as their cognitive capabilities decline. This is especially true amid a pandemic that has limited the types of activities that can be done. Because we live in a world of wireless connections, it...
Tips for handling dementia-related hallucinations and delusions
Hallucinations and delusions can create a whole new challenge for caregivers; they can cause someone to lose touch with reality and, in turn, you may lose touch with them. Sometimes, they can become so severe that they can impact someone’s ability to carry out...
When dementia happens to marriage
The month of February is all about love – searching for love, celebrating love or, within our caregiving community, taking a loving approach to dementia care. A topic that is not discussed very often, but is so important to talk about is the way that relationships...
Third edition of ‘A Loving Approach to Dementia Care’ coming in March
Caregivers know that to care for someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease means devotedly doing numerous little things each day for the person you’re caring for. While you are doing these things with love and patience, there is no manual that outlines the many...
Society’s perceptions and stigmas surrounding dementia
I was recently asked why I think it is so difficult to communicate the importance of Dementia Awareness, and how society perceives people with dementia. Unfortunately, most of society perceives dementia as only memory loss. This is a huge and dangerous mistake. Yes,...