Care partners of people living with dementia must often cope with their loved one asking the same question many times a day. Why does this happen? How can a care partner respond helpfully while keeping their sanity?
Case Study: “Where’s James?”
Twelve, Anita thought to herself. This was the twelfth time today that she would have to explain to Mom that her son, Anita’s little brother, died of a heart attack years ago at the age of 45. This question came so frequently that Anita had numbed herself. “James is gone, Mom.”

She watched her mother’s face as she …

As we get older, the chance increases that we will become a caregiver for a family member.  Or perhaps, we will have friends who are living with dementia.  Understanding more about ways to help loved ones is an important way to deal with the challenges of this disease.
Challenging interactions: living with dementia
Picture John and Alisha, an older couple, in their living room in the late morning. Alisha was hoping for a quiet read of the paper, which she and John always used to do together at this time of day, trading sections back and forth. But that was before John�…

Becoming a caregiver of a loved one stirs up many varied emotions.  It doesn’t matter if you become a caregiver gradually or suddenly, or if you are a caregiver by choice or default. Caregiving can be tough both emotionally and physically.
Facts about the impact of family caregiving
In a recent interview with LovetoKnow Seniors, Suzanne Geffen Mintz, president and co-founder of the National Family Caregivers Association, provided some facts about the impact of family caregiving which may surprise you:

There are over 50 million family caregivers in the United State…