The Alzheimer's Caregiver Podcast

As Alzheimer's progresses, you may find you are taking on more and more of your loved one's responsibilities. This episode focuses on one more thing to put on your to-do list - YOURSELF. It is essential for your health and well-being to add time for yourself to your daily and weekly schedules.

You may have a daily routine you have been doing for years that is familiar and works. But as Alzheimer's progresses, you may need to rethink that routine to accommodate your loved one with Alzheimer's better. In this episode, we provide suggestions to better meet your loved one's needs and condition.

Caregiving for a loved one with Alzheimer's is full of frustrations, challenges, and stress. But caregiving can also bring you great joy, understanding, and hope in your caregiving journey.  In this episode, we reflect on positive caregiver comments we have received throughout the years.

We typically modify how we communicate based on the audience we communicate with, such as adults, teens, or toddlers. In this episode, I will give you a better understanding of how to communicate with someone with Alzheimer's.

In the early stages of Alzheimer's, your loved one will be able to stay home alone. As the disease progresses, it becomes a challenge to determine whether or not they can be safely left alone in the house. In this episode, we look at ways to keep your loved one safe at home.

We don't always think about the passing of time in our daily lives. But your loved one with Alzheimer's will have more difficulty with situations that involve understanding aspects of time. This episode explains how Alzheimer's affects the concept of time and ways you can adapt and compensate.

Driving is a skill that involves several areas of cognitive abilities. At some point, your loved one with Alzheimer's may become unable to drive a car safely, which can cause great harm to them and others. In this episode, we look at ways to help you manage the decision to let them no longer drive.

When caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's, there are many things you will have to do to provide care. In this episode, we focus on the things you should NOT do to help you take better care of your loved one.

Managing the medications for your loved one with Alzheimer's can significantly affect their health and well-being.  They may, at some point, no longer remember to take their medications properly, which can lead to serious health issues. In this episode, we look at ways to manage their medications.

In your loved one's past, there may have been chores and tasks they enjoyed doing, such as cooking, gardening, or repairing. As the dementia progresses, their ability to do routine chores and tasks will change. This episode will provide ways to keep them engaged with tasks they are able to do now.

Safety for your loved one with Alzheimer's is a primary objective for you as a caregiver. This episode focuses on safety issues with regard to you, the caregiver. Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's requires that you are in the best health condition as possible, and be proactive in your own safety and health.

As Alzheimer's progresses, your loved one may have a more difficult time going shopping. They may become confused and agitated, making your shopping experience stressful. This episode will give you some insight into what they are experiencing, and provide suggestions to make your shopping experience less stressful.

As the holiday season approaches, it's time to think about what you can do to make this time of the year less stressful and more joyful for you and your loved one with Alzheimer's. In this episode, I list ten tips to help make your holiday season more enjoyable.  

Being a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer's can be challenging for most. Knowing how to meet these challenges in the early stages allows you to be the best caregiver possible. This episode will provide you with some insights and suggestions for coping with the early stages of your caregiving role.

It is a difficult decision whether or not to take your loved one with Alzheimer's to a funeral. Knowing that a funeral environment can vary from a simple gathering to a multi-function complex affair, it is vital to understand the various challenges you may face before deciding.

Many caregivers often share their regret for not taking advantage of hospice sooner. In this episode, we clarify what hospice is, how it can help, when best to start, and how it can benefit both the loved one and the caregiver.  

Many caregivers ask how they can better help their loved one with Alzheimer's around the house as their memory declines. In this episode, we provide tips and suggestions that help your loved one find things, manage their day, and recognize their own home.  

In the second part of this series on delusions, we look at common delusions, their causes, and how to best respond to them.  

Delusions are a false belief. As Alzheimer's progresses, it is not uncommon for your loved one to experience delusions. In the first part of this series, we look at common delusions, their causes, and how to best respond to them.

As Alzheimer's progresses, your loved one's preferences, likes and dislikes, and behaviors will change. In this episode, we look at some of the most common change areas and provide tips and suggestions on how to best deal with changes that may surprise you.  

As memory and cognitive abilities decline, your loved one's ability to manage finances, shop and make good purchasing decisions becomes more and more difficult. In this episode, we look at ways to protect their finances and keep your loved one safe.  

If your loved one with Alzheimer's gets up during the night, you need to make sure they are safe. Are they using the bathroom? Or are they just wandering? Do they venture outside alone? In this episode, we discuss concerns for nighttime and provide tips to keep your loved one safe at night.  

As your loved one's cognitive abilities and memory loss decline with Alzheimer's, they will have more and more trouble with food preparation, shopping, cooking, food storage, and general kitchen safety. In this episode, we look at food safety issues and discuss ways to prevent food-related accidents.

As Alzheimer's progresses, your loved one's verbal skills decline, making conversations and interactions more difficult. In this episode, we look at ways to stimulate and engage with your loved one through their senses.  

Getting a good night's sleep is important for brain health. Unfortunately, this is not always the case for someone with Alzheimer's. In this episode, we look at common problems associated with inadequate sleep and provide tips to help your loved one get a good night's sleep.