Letting Go of Unreasonable Expectations: Navigating the Progression of Dementia with Dignity and Grace

January 22, 2024.Reading time 10 minutes.

Caregivers are expected to take on a lot of emotional and physical demands when caring for another person. There are some more well-known burdens of caregiving, and many people will promote the importance of respite and self-care for caregivers. There are also lesser talked about side effects of caregiving that I believe are even more […]

Affirmations to Honor Yourself as a Caregiver of Someone Living with Memory Loss

October 1, 2023.Reading time 5 minutes.

Sometimes a barrier to providing care to a loved one with memory loss is no doubt the seemingly severed relationship that it causes. It creates so many questions within ourselves and many feelings of doubt and maybe even unworthiness. Too often I’ve heard the challenge of caregivers who are unable to surrender to memory loss […]

The Five Stages of Caregiving: From Grocery Shopping to Memory Care

September 24, 2023.Reading time 6 minutes.

The relationship we share with our parents can be very complex. Love is unconditional but that doesn’t mean that relationships are smooth or even loving. Too often, adult children are faced with taking on a caregiving journey without the feeling or support of a stable and loving relationship with their parents. That’s okay. Parent and […]

Millie Roman, a Mom of Four, Brings Her Mom Home from a Nursing Home to Become Her Full-time Caregiver During COVID

July 19, 2022.Reading time 4 minutes.

We are excited to share the third and final interview in our Caregiving During COVID series. I truly enjoyed speaking with Millie and hearing about her caregiving journey with her mom during Covid while a mom of four! Millie’s mom passed away shortly after the filming of this interview and we dedicated this video in […]

The Upside to Aging Presents a New Series on Caregiving During COVID featuring Kris Mccabe from Life With Grams

June 7, 2022.Reading time 1 minute.

Kris was a seasoned #familycaregiver when the pandemic started. She shares with us how the pandemic has impacted her and her Grams Mary’s caregiving journey during and after the pandemic.

Which Medicare Part is Right for Your Loved One? A Breakdown of the Basics of Medicare (Infographic Included)

January 7, 2020.Reading time 8 minutes.

Guest Post Author: Carly Cummings| MedicareLifeHealth.com Understanding the various parts of Medicare is important for caregivers. However, Medicare can seem daunting and dry. Let’s break down the basics of Medicare, so you and your loved ones can be informed to make good decisions. What is Medicare? Medicare is the national health care system for seniors, […]

Dementia Care: the Benefits of Staying In Their Reality

August 29, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

When we engage them in their stories of the past, we learn and connect on their terms, not ours.

Urinary Tract Infections Strike at Any Age… Keep an Eye Out for These 6 Signs.

May 23, 2017.Reading time 6 minutes.

First posted on Sixty and Me on May 9, 2017. Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) are not an ideal topic for conversation. They are a painful nuisance that accounts for 8.1 million people visiting their primary care physician each year. However, the severity of symptoms that can occur in an older adult makes it a necessary conversation […]

Enjoyable Eats: 10 Tips to Make Mealtime More Enticing for Someone Living with Dementia

May 16, 2017.Reading time 3 minutes.

Weight loss is a common and harmful symptom for those living with Dementia and Alzheimer’s. Unfortunately, meal times for our loved one can be stressful, uncomfortable, and even embarrassing. Coupled with a loss of appetite, ensuring our loved ones eat enough calories in a day becomes a top priority to maintaining their physical well-being. Make […]

How The 5 Senses Can Help Loved Ones Living with Dementia

April 4, 2017.Reading time 7 minutes.

Originally posted at Sixty and Me Our memories mean so much to us. They provide us with a sense of self and stand as a reminder of the journey we have taken in this life. And the memories we share with the people closest to us become an intricate piece of our identity. As these […]

Addressing Our Caregiver Shortage through Intergenerational Programs: Introducing our Youth to Seniors Living in Long-Term Care

November 1, 2016.Reading time 5 minutes.

As our population continues to age and the demand to age in place continues to grow, family caregivers have assumed the responsibility of caring for our older population. In the post, Investing in the ‘New Normal’: Are Companies Afraid to Admit Caregiving is now a Business Problem? I discussed the need for companies to recognize this growing number of […]

Investing in the ‘New Normal’: Are Companies Afraid to Admit Caregiving is now a Business Problem?

September 20, 2016.Reading time 8 minutes.

Nancy LeaMond (Executive Vice President & Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer, Communities, States and National Affairs at AARP) reports: [C]aregiving also has long been, and will continue to be, a business and workforce issue. [S]ix in 10 family caregivers are working while more than one in three are working full time. In fact, the average […]