As a caregiver, providing care to a loved one with dementia can be a demanding experience. While it is natural to feel anxious or lonely, successful caregivers choose to focus on the positives of their situation and adopt a proactive approach. Let's talk about some traits of successful caregivers and how they can help transform one's caregiving experience.

It is important to acknowledge that many caregivers face negative side effects. For instance, the average dementia caregiver is at a higher risk of mortality and experiences anxiety, loneliness, and sleep difficulties. In fact, research shows that the average dementia caregiver has a 68% higher mortality rate compared to non-caregivers. Additionally, 64% of them experience anxiety, 40% of them experience loneliness and over 60% have trouble with sleep. However, successful caregiver's approach decreases their risks of all of these things. Though they may experience some of these emotions, they tend to have more...

Today, I want to share one of the most powerful and simplest things any caregiver can start doing immediately to increase how successful they are in responding to their loved one.

Every human brain has something called the negativity bias. That means that it's much easier for us to notice the negative things over the positive things. As a result, you will notice your loved one's difficult, agitated, distressed, and challenging behaviors, more than any other behavior.

That's natural.

You can be the best caregiver in the world, and you will still notice all the things that your loved one does that gets under your skin much easier than anything they do that is lovely or wonderful.

When we understand this information, we are then able to take steps to balance out the negativity bias.

Successful Careblazers do this well. They spend just as much time, if not more, noticing the moments when things are going well than they do talking about and noticing the moments when things are not going...

Are you open to the idea of making a change in your caregiving journey? Are you willing to ask yourself some questions that can lead you to solutions and new approaches? Today I’m going to discuss the importance of being open to new possibilities when it comes to caregiving, and how to train your brain to be more receptive to change.

Our human brains are designed to keep us safe and comfortable, even if that means staying in a situation that is causing us stress and discomfort. As a caregiver, it can be challenging to imagine doing something different, especially when you feel overwhelmed and burnt out. However, it's essential to recognize that staying the same won't help, and that change is possible.

One way to start making changes is by asking yourself a series of questions when you hear someone mention something that could be helpful. Instead of dismissing the idea immediately, try to think about how you could apply it to your situation. What part of what they're saying...

Careblazer, I don't know if you can hear it right now, but there is a major storm happening right outside of my window, but I am not gonna let that stop me from recording another video for you. So if you hear like some wind helling or blowing, that's because there is a major storm happening right now in Phoenix, Arizona.

Okay, So in this post today, I wanna talk about something that is blocking the behavior change you want to see in your loved one with dementia, the number one. Reason That stops a lot of caregivers from being able to figure out what is going to change the behavior, what is actually going to get the person with dementia to change is you labeling the behavior.

If you would rather watch a video on this topic, click here.

You interpreting the behavior. This is what I mean. But let's take one of the big examples. So many people struggle with the person with dementia, might not want to shower or bathe. When I work with some of my clients...

Welcome back Careblazer. Today I want to talk about delirium. Another word for this includes encephalopathy. Delirium can be a common side effect for people with dementia and it’s important to understand what it is and how to notice signs of it because it requires medical attention and if not treated can lead to further brain damage.

If you would rather watch the video on this topic, click here.

In this video, I’m going to specifically answer what is delirium, the 3 different types, who gets delirium, the symptoms of delirium, how delirium is diagnosed, if you can fully recover from delirium and what to do if you suspect your loved one has delirium. 

But first, before I get into the video, I have a very important announcement to make. If you are watching this on Sunday, November 15th, it's the very last day I’m accepting new members inside my care course.

It’s my private program where you get to work personally with me and go through private...

Hi there Careblazer.  I’m happy to be back with this week’s topic on delusions and dementia. Many of you are caring for a loved one who believes things that are just not true. Some of them may even accuse you or blame you of things that aren’t true.

There are so many symptoms in dementia...not just memory problems. One common symptom is delusions. Delusions are basically really strong beliefs that your loved one has that aren't real but your loved one believes them to be real. And no matter how bizarre or strange or impossible their belief is, they believe it no matter what.

Some common delusions include things like thinking someone is breaking into their home and stealing things.

Someone spying on them or following them.

Feeling like a spouse is having an affair.

Many times the person they may think is doing these things is often you...the caregiver.

So if your loved one is having delusions and you are struggling for how to respond, then...