3 Important No-no’s | Talking to a Person with Dementia /Alzheimer’s Disease

Dad has Alzheimer’s disease. You are a loyal daughter (Jill) who visits often and brings his favorite foods. On one visit, Dad has a big smile when he sees you. “Hi Mary” “Dad, I’m NOT Mary. (Mary is your older sister.)  What’s my name?” “Oh, gosh. Where’s Mary?” “Dad, I’m Jill!! Why do you always ask about Mary? Are you trying to get on my nerves?”

Agitation – A Clear Description Leads to the Best Action Plan

A nurse working at night in the hospital calls the doctor asking for help: “I have a patient, Mrs Jones. She’s very agitated. Can you order some Imagine being the doctor in the above situation. The request can have multiple outcomes. The night doctor does not know the patient well. In addition, the doctor is busy and does not want more phone calls about the patient. In the worst-case scenario, a high dose of the medicine is ordered. The patient subsequently becomes over sedated and the next day she chokes on her food leading to […]

A Special Relationship Between the Older Adult and the Caregiver

In a previous post, my friend Shannon talked about gracefully and thankfully accepting a caregiver at a certain stage in life.  Today’s post is Part 2 of our discussion. Shannon talks about the relationship “rules” that both the caregiver and the client need to keep in mind to make the relationship a strong one.

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