The grandparent–grandchild relationship can be precious, like no other. But even young children notice if Grandma or Grandpa isn't acting the way they used to, or the same way others do. And they will have questions. "Why does he keep calling me by Dad's name?" "She just asked that question five minutes ago!" Respond to them honestly. Keep it simple and age appropriate. Children under age two may feel scared. Reassure them. "Grandpa has a boo-boo on his brain that made that happen. He still loves you." For those ages two to six, you might embellish: "Grandma has a sickness that's affecting he ..read more

Take any roomful of people and likely two-thirds of them have relatives who aren't talking to each other. Families are messy. Hurts abound. Some people wait until a serious diagnosis to reconcile. They often regret the years of separation they can never retrieve. Others try forgiveness earlier in the process. There's no right or wrong. Simply who has the courage—and when—to either give or request forgiveness. Giving forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean you approve of what someone did. According to the Stanford Forgiveness Project, people forgive because they want to take control of their li ..read more

If you expect older visitors this season, check your home for hazards. Older adults often have impaired balance and vision. This makes them prone to falling, especially in new surroundings. And fragile skin and bones can mean double trouble if someone does take a spill. Here are some tips: Home entry Early darkness and wet walkways can add to risk of a fall. Turn on outdoor lighting and make sure stairs have a sturdy handrail. Living/dining areas Clear the floor! Store away toys, piles of books. Avoid slippery wax floor finishes and tape down area rugs. Eliminate extension cords from walking ..read more

Taking the right medicines at the right time is extremely important to health management. But 75%­­–96% of older adults admit that they frequently make mistakes with their medication. Is your loved one among them? There are many reasons why a person might not take their medicines as directed. "Forgetting" is one of the most common. But difficulty opening the bottle or reading the label can also result in medication errors. A pillbox can help, but choose carefully: Are there enough compartments? Are they big enough to hold all the pills? Are the compartment labels large enough to read (day of ..read more

Deciding what holiday gifts to give a person with memory loss can be challenging. Following are some tips to share with family members. The gift of time A special date to share cookies and send holiday cards to others Attending seasonal music events Caroling together A person with early-stage memory loss is often still striving to do his or her usual activities. Gifts that provide reminder systems or simplify daily tasks are useful. A clipboard with attached pen for notes. Attractive stick-on labels for cabinets and drawers. An erasable whiteboard for listing the day's activities. A push-b ..read more

Is your family member seriously ill or in frail condition? A veteran? If so, the VA has a special service that offers palliative care to keep your loved one comfortable. The cause of your loved one’s ill health is not important in requesting palliative care. The point is to relieve distressing symptoms. For example, you might be concerned about pain, nausea, or shortness of breath. Your relative can receive treatment specifically to keep such discomforts at bay. Palliative care professionals work in a team, which allows them to treat the whole person. For instance, a social worker can address ..read more

The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are many other conditions that also bring on memory problems. It is important to accurately identify the cause, even if there's no cure, because this will shape the best strategy for addressing difficult symptoms. Lewy body dementia (LBD) is the second most common form of dementia. But it is not nearly as well known, even by doctors. It's easy to misdiagnose because it shares symptoms with several other dementia conditions. It also varies a lot from one person to the next. Signs of Lewy body dementia Swings in ability to ..read more

Do you ever wish you could wave a magic wand for more joy? Patience? Optimism? Motivation? Maybe less irritability and stress? It's actually accessible now, no wizardry required. Just a shift in attention. Welcome to "anticipation." You may have noticed that half the fun of a vacation is the anticipation of the journey beforehand. Research shows that anticipation gives people an emotional lift in the weeks before actual takeoff. Simply put, you can amplify the positives in your life by intentionally looking forward to them. You don't have to plan for a big expensive trip to get the benefits ..read more

It's unpleasant to imagine that your loved one might become the victim of crime, but it's worth considering. There are valuable preventive steps to take. Unless your relative lives in a high-crime neighborhood, their greatest risk is a property crime in or around their home. In fact, older adults experience thirteen times more property crime than violent crime. Home invasions and theft are the main concerns. Secure the perimeter. Install motion detection lights and test them often. Light is an excellent deterrent to those who mean no good. Be sure the front and back doors are particularly we ..read more

Depression is common in older adults. It's long been known that brisk exercise can help reduce depression. But it turns out that exercise doesn't have to be vigorous to make a difference. Even mild exercise can be effective. This is great news, especially since depression zaps energy and initiative. Researchers have found that completing an exercise task yields a sense of achievement achievement boosts our sense of personal power increased self-confidence reduces feelings of depression and fatigue In this case, the purpose of exercise isn't to increase heart rate. It's to accomplish an acti ..read more