The Alzheimer's Caregiver Podcast

Throughout my years of working with caregivers, I have been asked what some of the most important tips I would recommend to a caregiver are. This can be very challenging, as there are many things I would share. In this episode, I'm going to feature five tips that I believe are essential for caregivers to help them care for their loved ones with Alzheimer's.

When most people think about Alzheimer's, they believe it is the disease that causes a person to lose their memory. However, Alzheimer's disease affects many areas of cognitive function, in addition to memory.  In this episode, we will focus on logical thinking and its impact on your loved one's ability to utilize cognitive and problem-solving skills.

In part two of hurricane preparedness for caregivers, we will continue the discussion on how to best prepare for hurricanes or other severe weather conditions as it pertains to your loved one with Alzheimer's.

In this episode, we will provide you with practical information regarding hurricane preparation and the issues you need to be aware of as a caregiver. We will focus on hurricane preparedness, but many of the tips can be applied to other weather or emergency situations.

This episode will focus on the more positive aspects of caregiving to help you understand why you do what you do as a caregiver. These are based on comments received from caregivers over the years, who shared positive aspects of caregiving and the reasons they undertake this role.

Verbal communication plays a significant role in how we engage and connect with one another. As Alzheimer's progresses, conversations and communications change and decrease.  This episode will explore conversations and connections, offering tips and strategies to help you communicate effectively with and connect to your loved one.

Conversations are a major part of any relationship. As Alzheimer's progresses, conversations become more difficult for someone with Alzheimer's, which can affect how you connect and engage with them. This episode will provide tips to help you maintain conversations and improve communications with your loved one.

Moving a loved one to a memory care facility can be an emotional experience for a caregiver. This episode will explore the emotions caregivers experience when transitioning their loved one to a memory care facility and offer guidance on how to manage these feelings effectively.  

Caregivers frequently discuss the stress of caring for a loved one at home.  Yet moving a loved one to a memory care facility can also be a cause of caregiver stress. This episode will discuss the decision to move a loved one to a facility and explore ways to help reduce stress in this situation.

Caregivers often ask if it is a good idea to take their loved one with Alzheimer's on a vacation. Unfortunately, there is no simple yes or no answer. This episode will provide information to help you determine if a vacation is a good idea and offer tips to make it safer and more enjoyable if you decide to go.  

You may have heard of elder abuse, but you may not be aware of the prevalence, the types, and how abuse pertains to individuals with Alzheimer's. This episode will discuss the different types of elder abuse and provide tips to keep your loved ones safe from abuse or exploitation.  

Taking care of a loved one with Alzheimer's can be overwhelming and stressful for the caregiver.  This episode will discuss ways to help manage caregiver stress and offer practical tips for caregivers.  

Many caregivers face the challenge of keeping their loved ones busy and engaged during the day. This episode examines activities and resources to help caregivers keep their loved ones busy and occupied throughout the day.

Using camera monitors in the home to keep tabs on a loved one may seem intrusive to some caregivers. This episode looks at the use of cameras and how they be beneficial to keeping your loved one safe.

Every stage of Alzheimer's disease presents unique challenges and emotions for the caregiver. This episode will focus on the later stage and discuss symptoms and behaviors that caregivers may see in their loved ones.

While there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, there are treatable causes of memory loss and confusion that caregivers should be aware of. This episode examines medical and other conditions affecting memory and how they may be treated or improved.

Finding services and community resources can often be challenging and frustrating for caregivers. Fortunately, there is a helpful starting place that should be the first step for caregivers of a loved one with Alzheimer's.

If you are a listener to this podcast, you know how I emphasize the need to join and live in their reality. However, there are exceptions. This episode will look at times when joining their reality is not always the best approach.

This episode will focus on three important concepts that are critical for caregivers to understand. Caregiving can be challenging at times, especially when trying to understand what is happening with your loved one. These three concepts will help you become a better caregiver.  

Unfortunately, there are many myths and misconceptions about Alzheimer's. This episode focuses on several common myths and will help clarify misunderstandings.

There are many benefits to getting an Alzheimer's diagnosis. Yet caregivers often ask if it is really necessary. This episode examines the benefits of having a comprehensive evaluation for the purpose of diagnosing a memory problem.

When caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's, it is vitally important to be their advocate, their voice of reason, their decision-maker, and their informant. This episode looks at situations where being an advocate is essential and provides insight to help in these situations

A loved one with Alzheimer's lives in the moment. Because they have short-term memory loss, caregivers need to understand the realities and limitations of Alzheimer's. This episode focuses on how to redefine success for doing certain things for their loved one.

One of the most challenging and emotionally-charged things for caregivers is when their loved one no longer recognizes them. This episode examines why this happens and how to respond in different situations.

Caregivers often assume they are healthy and consequently don't always prepare for when they become ill or injured. This episode looks at ways caregivers can stay safe and put things in place in case something happens to them.