Seven years ago My wife of 36 years was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It was devastating to find out that, at the young age of 57, Karen had a progressive illness for which there was no cure, only medications to slow the progress for a while. In the beginning there was lots of depression on […] The post Living with Dementia appeared first on Elder Care Network of Northern Colorado ..read more

My widowed mother was diagnosed with throat cancer four years prior to her death at age 73. She underwent several surgeries and numerous series of radiation and chemotherapy. As food and entertaining was a huge part of her life, it seemed cruel when the mere act of eating became difficult. Following the throat surgeries, she […] The post Caring for a parent who is dying appeared first on Elder Care Network of Northern Colorado ..read more

In 2003, my husband and I retired and moved to within 50 miles of my parents so we were able to help more at the end of my mother’s battle with breast cancer, and the remainder of my father’s life. For a time after my mother died, my father was in good health and living […] The post Caring for Parents living in their own home appeared first on Elder Care Network of Northern Colorado ..read more

My 38-year-old daughter-in-law, Mary, was in a snowmobile accident in Wyoming approximately 10 years ago. This caused significant brain injury, requiring ongoing care. Mary is wheelchair bound; wears neck and leg braces and needs to be rotated frequently. She needs lots of assistance to be moved or lifted. She is unable to speak and has […] The post Elders caring for an adult child appeared first on Elder Care Network of Northern Colorado ..read more

By the time my curmudgeon father turned 80 he had been married and divorced three times, had a minimally cordial relationship with his children, was living alone in a rural area of central Pennsylvania and had endured a year of chemotherapy and radiation treatment for lymphoma. His prognosis uncertain, he was very weak, in a […] The post Caring for a family member who is in a care facility appeared first on Elder Care Network of Northern Colorado ..read more

I have two brothers, one who lives close to where our father lived in Florida and the other who lives in New Mexico. In the last three years of Dad’s life (he died at home at the age of 98), I served first as a long-distance caregiver, then more directly by staying with him for […] The post Long distance caregiving appeared first on Elder Care Network of Northern Colorado ..read more

Irene began suffering multiple serious effects of her diabetes, including some mild dementia, in her early 70’s. By then she had been married 6 years to her third husband, Hank, who gradually took on more responsibility as her caregiver as her mental and physical status declined. During the first 6 years of their marriage Irene […] The post Caring for an ill spouse appeared first on Elder Care Network of Northern Colorado ..read more

Soon after Mother died, my dad developed dementia. Realizing Dad needed round-the-clock care himself, I moved to the ranch where he lived in a remote mountain valley of Wyoming to become his full-time caregiver. It took more than two years of constant attention to keep Dad safe and content. When finally, his dementia worsened to […] The post Living with a frail elder parent appeared first on Elder Care Network of Northern Colorado ..read more

This video was produced by the Larimer County Office on Aging in 2008. Some information regarding the Larimer County Caregiver Coalition may not be current. Contact Lynette McGowan at 970-498-7758 for more information. The post On Caregiving: Interviews with adult caregivers of family elders. appeared first on Elder Care Network of Northern Colorado ..read more

It’s not easy to talk about how you want the end of your life to be. But it’s one of the most important conversations you can have with your loved ones. Front Range Hospice has partnered with the Conversation Project to help you have The Conversation. What is the Conversation Project, You ask? Let me […] The post Do You Know What Matters To Me at the End of My Life? appeared first on Elder Care Network of Northern Colorado ..read more