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articles about Alzheimer's

  • Debbie Newsham

    A EUREKA MOMENT: 2006 FIRST PRIZE WINNER

    Read this prize-winning story about how a personal breakthrough helped a third-generation caregiver cope and succeed. Then, go to "Talk About a Eureka Moment" in the Encounters with Caregivers blog to read how this story saved another caregiver's life and gave her hope to carry on.

  • ENixon

    A UNIQUE FOCUS: 2007 First Prize Winner

    She combines caregiving, college and advocacy

  • ALL MY WAKING HOURS

    2007 "Give a Caregiver a Break" essay contest runner-up

  • POSITIVE IMPACT

    2007 "Give a Caregiver a Break" essay contest runner-up

  • Judy Martin and Dad

    THE FINANCIAL FIX

    Judy Martin is racking up a lot of frequent-flyer miles. Not by taking exotic vacations, either. Instead, this 63-year-old grandmother flies every six weeks from her Texas home to California to assist her ailing, aged father. These trips began last year when Judy became concerned that her dad seemed increasingly disorganized and confused. But when Judy asked him about his finances and he couldn’t provide a reasonable answer, she knew it was time to act…. Click here to read more.

  • SLIPPING AWAY TIME image

    THE SLIPPING-AWAY TIME

    A son helps his mother face Alzheimer's while learning to get necessary help for both of them.

  • WHEN CARING BECOMES PLURAL image

    WHEN CARING BECOMES PLURAL

    One caring daughter plus two ailing parents equals a challenge beyond imagination and dependent on inspiration.

  • ALZHEIMER'S: A CAREGIVER CONVERSATION CHECKLIST

    Even under the most optimal at-home care circumstances, a long-term care facility may be able to offer a more safe and comfortable environment for someone with Alzheimer’s disease. Now, the Alzheimer’s Association has created a checklist of talking points and helpful hints to begin a series of relevant conversations with your family, fellow caregivers and the person with Alzheimer’s. Click here to read more.

  • ALZHEIMER'S: A Little Training, a Lot of Progress

    How trained support helps those caring for people with dementia

  • ALZHEIMER'S: Keeping Calm Counts

    Discovering a caregiver's most important asset

  • CAREGIVER SUPPORT: A Good Kind of Pressure

    Research shows the increasing benefits of massage. See how it can help you and the loved one in your care.

  • Caregiver Tech: WEBWATCH

  • HOW TO KEEP LIFE IN BALANCE

  • SHARE THE CARE

    When creating a caregiving team, you need the Team Leader, the Assistant Coordinator, the Researcher, the Arranger, the Experienced Caregiver, the Chief Cook and Bottlewasher, the Creative Type, the One with a Special Skill, the Shopper, the Handyman, the Driver...the list goes on. And when all work in a coordinated effort, the result is stress-reduced caregiving. So how do you put together such a team? Click here and find out.

  • THE PROMISE

    "Promise you'll never put me in a nursing home." How many of us have been lassoed by that demand? Is it a promise we're obligated to obey? Or is it one that shouldn't be asked? Click here to read how caregivers like you have handled this dilemma.

  • THE THREE STAGES OF CAREGIVING

    A practical guide to caregiver preparedness

  • CARE RECIPIENT HEALTH

    Q. My dad has Alzheimer's and I've recently noticed he has trouble swallowing when he eats. Is this common?

  • CAREGIVER SUPPORT

    Q. I recently refilled my mother’s prescription and found that she had previously been given pills that were half the dosage of what had been prescribed—even though the pharmacist’s label indicated the vial’s contents were what had been prescribed. How do I prevent such a potentially tragic mistake in the future?

  • FINANCE

    Q. I applied for Social Security disability almost a year ago, and I was told my hearing is still pending. Are there any shortcuts or ways to deal with such a delay?

  • CAREGIVER SUPPORT: THE DINE GUIDE

    Where there's dementia, there are nutrition and feeding challenges. Here are some thoughtful, sensible and respectful ways to conquer them.

  • Savages

    CARING TODAY CAREGIVER CINEMA

    With their recent success both at the box office and as recipients of major awards, Away from Her and The Savages have brought caregiving to the top of hot-topic lists. But these aren't the first films about caregiving, nor will they be the last. Click here for 20 movie favorites that might teach you something about caregiving, sometimes provide you with a smile and certainly entertain you.

  • Communication

    Q. My mom has early-stage dementia and it’s becoming unsafe for her to live at home alone. My husband and I think it’s best for her to move in with us, but how can we be sure? What should I consider before approaching her with this idea?

  • FEAR OF FALLING

    If a person is paralyzed by a fear of falling due to age, injury or ailment, the burden on the caregiver can be that much harder. So, what do you do?

  • GARDEN THERAPY

    Creating a garden with the person you care for can help more than the flowers grow. It's therapy that can make your relationship blossom.

  • HEALING WITH MUSIC

    How song can be a powerful caregiver tool

  • FILLING IN THE MEMORY GAP

    A granddaughter gives her grandfather a journal to fill with memories and family history. They all enjoy time together learning fun new stories.

  • Reunion small

    THE (SECRET) GARDEN PARTY

    When you've got a big family, use it to make a caregiver's dreams come true. Click here to see how one family did just that.

  • WHO KNOWS WHERE

    Traveling the path of Alzheimer's-affected thought is no easy effort. Here's one woman's attempt at tracing her mother's invisible strings of meaning to who knows where. A warm and loving lesson for us all.

  • TIME FOR YOU THURSDAY

    Looking for a way to relax and have some fun with the person in your care? Whether as a memory exercise or just as a way to de-stress, writing can work wonders. Try it. Click here to see how.

  • TUESDAY TIPS

    A just-published report indicates that your being organized and demonstrating self-discipline can help you avoid Alzheimer's. Check out what you should do.

  • TUESDAY TIPS

    The Oscar-nominated film The Savages, about estranged adult siblings (Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman) who are reunited in their effort to care for their ailing father (Philip Bosco), recently came out on DVD. Rent it, buy it, but see it if you can. For a list of other great caregiver films, click here.

  • TUESDAY TIPS

    Been thinking of things you can get a loved one who's been devoted to providing care for someone close to you? Here are ideas to help make the holidays happy and helpful.

  • TUESDAY TIPS

    Communing with nature may be all it takes to calm your nerves or get you out of a mild case of the caregiver blues. Click here for easy ways to reap the healing powers of “going green."

  • WHERE TO LOOK WEDNESDAY

    The time it takes Social Security to act on setting up hearings for SSDI decisions can be hard for caregivers to deal with. It can take months--or years. Click here to find out what the experts advise to obtain the assistance you need.

  • WHERE TO LOOK WEDNESDAY

    Long-distance caregiving puts an extra burden on the caregiver. Click here for resources to help you care from afar

  • WHERE TO LOOK WEDNESDAY

    Knowing how to talk to your loved one's doctor is an important step in care management. Click here for five tips to improve doctor/caregiver communication and to find where to look for further help.

  • WHERE TO LOOK WEDNESDAY

    Caring for someone with dementia or Alzheimer's? Click here to find information that will educate you about these diseases and steer you to getting help for yourself and your loved one.