It’s become common to incorrectly use the term Alzheimer’s to describe all kinds of dementia. Dementia is the loss of memory and the ability to think, to solve problems, and to use reason. It affects memory, intelligence, judgment, language, and behavior. There are a number of subcategories under this broad term, including Alzheimer’s, multi-infarct dementia (which is stroke-r...

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If your loved one is suffering from depression—and is not just “down in the dumps” for a while—he or she can’t “will it” away. Your care-receiver can’t simply decide, “I’m not going to be depressed anymore.” Research shows that depression often has a physiological and emotional basis and is treatable. Then, too, with all your respon...

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A Caregiver's Prayer for an Aging Parent Heavenly Father, help me better understand and believe I can do what you ask me to do. Forgive me for the times, even now, when I question your judgment. As I go about the many daily tasks of caregiving, give me energy. As I watch my loved one oh-so-slowly walk across the room, give me strength. As I answer his/her repeated question just one...

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by Barry J. Jacobs, AARP, January 9, 2017 As a 24/7 caregiver for her mother, my 52-year-old patient — I'll call her Becca — gets little rest. At night, lying on the couch next to her mother's hospital bed, she is jolted awake by her mom's frequent cries of pain and confused conversation with people who aren't there. During the day, she catnaps fitfully in the chair ...

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by Lynnette K-Cox, AARP Are you worried about your parents' diminishing physical capabilities or your daughter's plans to pay for her child's college education? Is one of your relatives going through an especially difficult financial period? As you get together with your adult children and aging parents to enjoy home-cooked meals or celebrate your family's holiday traditions, us...

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