For the month of April, I'm covering a series of topics on unpopular and controversial opinions in dementia Caregiving. This series is not meant to change anybody's mind on anything. It is meant to open up discussion and have conversation and to think about dementia caregiving in different ways. This series can be helpful no matter what type of dementia your loved one has (i.e., Alzheimer's disease, Lewy Body Dementia, Frototemporal dementia, Vascular dementia, Parinkinsons disease dementia, etc.).

I'm hoping here for the month of April, we can all keep an open mind and hear each other's viewpoints and opinions, and you can feel free to share all of them in the comments below because we have care blazers from all different backgrounds, from all different parts of the world, from all different types of caregiving situations, and I want this to truly be a channel that is helping.

I believe we all don't have to believe the same thing in order to be amazing Careblazers. In today's post,...

As a caregiver, there are so many decisions you're going to have to make, and some of those decisions can feel really heavy. They can feel really big. These are decisions like whether or not to put your loved one in a care facility, maybe put your loved one in respite, or even taking your loved one on vacation with you.

How do you make the right decision?

In today's video, I want to walk you through a simple three step process you can go through whenever you are faced with making any decision. And the best news possible is that no matter what the outcome is of that decision, you don't have to feel bad or guilty about it at all, and you never, ever again have to think to yourself, "I made the wrong decision."

Are you ready? Let's get started.

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

One of the reasons people struggle with making a decision is because they have in their mind that there is a right decision or there is a wrong decision....

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...

In this short post, I wanna explain the difference between Alzheimer's disease and dementia so that you never confuse the two of them. Again, there's a lot of confusion about these two terms, and it's no wonder because a lot of the times nobody is really taking the time to explain the difference. So that's what I wanna do here today.

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

And in order to do that, I want to use the example of cancer. So when you hear that somebody has cancer, you immediately know that person is sick, but you're not quite sure. What type of cancer it is. Could it be lung cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer, or brain cancer, or any of the other cancers? The same thing is true.

When you hear the words dementia, it means that you would know somebody is having problems with their thinking and their functioning, but it doesn't tell you what type is it. Alzheimer's, Lewy body, vascular, frontal temporal, or any of the other dementias out...

Has your person with dementia ever believed somethign that wasn’t true? Like that people are stealing things when it’s really that they are misplacing them or losing them?

Or maybe even that they see someone in the house, even though no one else is there? 

These are knowns as Delusions and Hallucinations. These are common symptoms that can happen in any dementia. And they are actually two different things, although many people confuse the two. 

Today I’m going to share what’s the difference between these two symptoms and how you’ll be able to know whether person you’re caring for has either one or both of these symptoms. AND most importantly, I’ll share some big do’s and don’t when trying to respond, because if you’ve even tried to tell someone what they are believing or seeing isn’t real then you know that usually makes things much worse. I don’t want that to happen to...

Hey there Careblazer. 

Today I want to talk about loneliness and isolation and this applies to both you and your LOWD, so wear both hats when reading this post. 

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

So what do you think of when I ask, "what does it mean to be lonely?" Likely, you think of the obvious: it means to be alone. But I want you to think about this more. What does it mean to be lonely? I have had one Careblazer describe it as feeling like you are surrounded by people but no one can hear you. Yet another has said that it feels like sadness and depression. While others have described loneliness as being physically distanced from people, which is closer to the definition of social isolation.  

So why does this matter? Beyond the obvious reason that loneliness and social isolation are not fun to experience, there is research to show that this impacts not only your mental health but also your...

Hey there Careblazer, 

I think we can all agree sleep is important. We all know that tired, confused, sometimes even nauseous feeling that comes with not getting enough sleep and, as you probably guessed, sleep is particularly important for your LOWD BUT do you know the impact that light can have on sleep?

Today I want to spend some time talking about some of the facts about sleep and dementia and the research on the importance of light to sleep. 

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

Let’s start with some basic facts about sleep:

About half of older adults and approximately 60-70% of people with mild cognitive impairment and dementia experience some form of sleep disturbance. This means the odds are your LOWD falls into this category. 

Various studies have shown that when an individual with dementia has problems with their sleep they are more likely to have more severe thinking problems, greater mood...

Hello Careblazers!

This week over on my YouTube channel, I interviewed the creator of Jelly Drops: a unique and creative way to help prevent dehydration in dementia. While these shouldn't replace actual liquids, your loved one may enjoy eating them and get a bit more water in their system as a result.

If you're interested to know more, please watch the full video here to learn about Jelly Drops and how much water they actually contain.

PLEASE NOTE: I do not advocate for Jelly Drops. I am not an affiliate. I received zero money from Jelly Drops for this video. This is purely an informational video to learn more about Jelly Drops which have recently become available in the U.S.

Keep up the great work Careblazers! 

In this post, we are going to talk about the first and most important step to actually solve a difficult dementia behavior.

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

Before any problem can be solved we first have to identify what exactly the problem is. This is actually the most important step and it sounds simple, but after working with thousands and thousands of careblazers this first step is more often than not done incorrectly and it lowers  the chances of any behavior change from happening. 

So grab a piece of paper, we are going to get really clear on step one.

I want you to write down on your paper or in the comments what is one thing or one behavior you are trying to change or would like to see change in your loved one with dementia? 

Now take a look at what you wrote down. The very first step in solving a problem is to get clear on what that problem is and in order to do that, you can’t have your own judgements and...

Welcome back Careblazer. Today I want to answer a question I recently received- how long does someone with dementia live? 

If you would like to watch my video on this topic, click here. 

Seems like a straightforward question, but as you probably expect there isn’t really a straightforward answer. I’m going to share with you the range that someone with dementia typically lives and the different factors that can make that time shorter or longer. 

The reason this is an important question is that when someone you love is diagnosed with dementia, you will need to start planning for care, future plans, how you will pay for care, and so on. It can make a difference whether someone will be living for 2 years or 20 years when it comes to planning. 

So while there is no definite way to determine the length of time, I’ll do my best to share what the research shows at this time. 

Let’s first talk briefly about why this...