Favorite Activities for the Active Dad Have a horseshoe or cornhole competition in the backyard. Invite family and friends over for a barbecue. Visit a nearby park to feed the ducks, lounge on a blanket and enjoy a picnic, or just go for a stroll. Drive by the beach and if your loved one can’t get out of the car, park it and have some take-out food while watching the waves. Favorite Activities for the Less-Active Dad Get takeout from his favorite restaurant. Grab his favorite snacks and watch his favorite sporting event. Or compile video footage of some of the best moments of his favorite t ..read more

Caregiving and Personal Health In today’s blog, we will talk about mental health and being a family caregiver. A lot of research has been done on the association between physical and psychological health and being a family caregiver.[1] Since mental and physical health can be impacted by caregiving, it is important to practice healthy lifestyle habits to help ease the stressors that come with caregiving. Below, we describe the common experiences people face when they assume the role of a family caregiver. We will then cover some guidelines to keep in mind to maintain your personal health. How ..read more

If the person you care for is living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, it is important to support their emotional needs. There are many ways to accomplish this, such as reminiscing about something personal and positive, through hands-on activities or communicated through body language  and tone of voice. This is about different ways to show your loved one that you love them, that you are glad you are together and that they are safe. In the past, most of Alzheimer’s and dementia care has been focused on managing the physical needs of the disease such as managing medications, bathing and eati ..read more

A Short History of Alzheimer’s: First Reported Case and Incidence Over Time Dementia is a general term describing degenerative neurological conditions. Alzheimer’s is a kind of dementia that causes the brain to atrophy and brain cells to die. It is a condition that usually affects people over the age of 65. While other forms of dementia exist, Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the specific plaques (beta-amyloid) and tangles (tau proteins) which negatively impact neurons in the brain. Researchers are working towards finding a cure. This blog talks briefly about the first patient diagnos ..read more

Tuesday Tips for Caregivers ~ Mobility Issues & Activities for Aging Adults Mobility is a key component in feeling independent, healthy, and overall satisfied. As we age, we are at greater risk of becoming less mobile due to aging-related issues. These issues can result from changes in joint health, injuries, or declining cognitive health. As a result of these health-related issues, we may become less able to move about as we once did, whether it is driving, walking, running, or just moving around the house. Adapting to reduced mobility is not easy and can result in depression, feelings o ..read more

Keeping Track of Your Loved One’s Medications Being a caregiver requires you to pay attention at different scales. Let us explain. On the one hand, you have to pay attention to the larger problems going on in your loved one’s life, like their overall health, their happiness, their living situation, etc. On the other hand, there are tinier details that get involved like keeping track of doctor’s appointments. Today, we want to focus on one of the smaller details: medication management. But, by calling this a small detail, we don’t mean to imply that it is a small issue. Medication management is ..read more

Family Caregiving and Entertainment Caring for an aging loved one can often feel like a constant stream of responsibilities upon responsibilities. Every now and then, you get to enjoy quiet moments with your aging loved ones, be they parents or other relatives. One question that may arise is “What exactly could we do in these quiet moments?” One answer to that is: Nothing. You do not have to constantly be doing something in order to spend quality time with your loved one. Sometimes those moments of quiet and quietude are necessary. Other times, however, it may be fun to do something entertain ..read more

Elder Care, Dementia, and Transportation Dementia is a term that generally refers to a loss of memory, problems with language, and reduced cognitive functioning, like problem solving and other kinds of thinking. Different types of dementia exist that impact different parts of the brain. For example, Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia characterized by certain plaques (protein structures) that form in and around brain cells that make it difficult for brain cells to communicate with one another. Currently, there is no cure for dementia, and the disorder progressively gets worse with time. If you ..read more

A New Drug for Alzheimer’s? What We Know So Far. . . The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new drug called aducanumab, marketed as Aduhelm and created by the drug company Biogen. It is a amyloid beta-directed antibody used to reduce the plaques that are characteristic of Alzheimer’s. Despite this seemingly positive news, there still remains many questions unanswered, as well as some controversy around the approval. In today’s blog, we will describe what potential breakthroughs this drug can have for those living with Alzheimer’s, as well as the associated controversies that cam ..read more

Caregiving and Meal Preparation As a caregiver, you probably feel like there isn’t enough time in the day to do all you want. The thought of adding some additional task can seem preposterous. Perhaps you watch the morning news and see a segment devoted to self-care. You sigh and think to yourself “Who has time for that!” At ElderCare at Home, we understand and appreciate the constant strain and pressure family caregivers are under. We also believe that self-care does not have to be an added stressor to your already long list of “to do” items. Today, we want to go over one form of self-care th ..read more