There’s a common misconception that when somebody is diagnosed with dementia, they lose their independence and can no longer live alone. While down the road in the illness course of dementia, this may be true, there is A LOT that a person with dementia CAN DO to remain living independently and safely in their home. […]

I hear from caregivers pretty regularly that”nobody really understands how hard caring for a loved one with dementia is!” So, I decided to share some facts about dementia caregivers in the hopes that it will provide some understanding and support for the dementia caregiver’s journey! If you’re caring for somebody with dementia, I see you […]

Witnessing memory problems in your older loved one can be really scary. You might not know what’s causing the memory loss and fear the worst case scenario. You may think, if it is dementia, there’s nothing I can do about it, right? WRONG! On the other hand, you might notice signs of memory loss in […]

I hear from caregivers pretty regularly that”nobody really understands how hard caring for a loved one with dementia is!” So, I decided to share some facts about dementia caregivers in the hopes that it will provide some understanding and support for the dementia caregiver’s journey!     If you’re caring for somebody with dementia, I […]

When I first started working with dementia more than a decade ago, I didn’t know much about dementia. Prior to this point, I had a lot of experience working with older adults and their families. I loved working with older adults, but I had very little experience working with older adults with dementia and their […]

  Dementia is one of the most important, but often overlooked, health care issues related to older African Americans.   In fact, research shows that African Americans are two to three times more likely to develop a dementia disorder (compared to European Americans) and at the same time are less likely to be diagnosed early in the disease process […]

In this episode of the Caring for Aging Parents Show, I interview Lauren Dykovitz, author of Learning to Weather the Storm: A Story of Life, Love, and Alzheimer’s about: Her journey as a caregiver over the past 10 years The challenges of being 25 when her mom was diagnosed with dementia Tips for young caregivers What she’s learned […]

  Caring for an aging parent who has been hospitalized on a psychiatric inpatient unit is incredibly challenging.   Older adults who end up needing psychiatric inpatient care may have a longstanding mental health condition, a new mental health condition, a mental health condition with medical problems, like dementia,  and countless other scenarios.   If […]

  One of the most common questions y’all send to me and that I’m also asked frequently in my own practice with families are questions surrounding hallucinations, delusions, and psychosis.   So, today, Psychiatrist, Dr. Lisa Frank, helps us understand psychosis, hallucinations, delusions, and antipsychotic medications!   Some of you have written to me saying: […]

  One of the most complicated situations families that I work with are faced with has to do with older adults with dementia developing a delirium.   Is the dementia worsening? Or is it a delirium? It’s so hard to tell. In this week’s episode, I am delighted to interview my best friend, Dr. Lisa […]

In this first of a two-part interview,  I have the incredible honor of interviewing Mary Jane, “MJ”, Grant about her experiences with caring for her mom with dementia. You may remember MJ Grant’s video that went viral, called “Dementia Can Be Beautiful”. It’s had more than 2.2 million views (on Facebook alone!) and shows MJ and […]

You’ve heard people say “she’s doing great! She’s old, but she’s all there!” or “he’s 90 and still so sharp!”   These statements about older adults make the assumption that with aging comes serious cognitive problems, like dementia! But, these ideas are actually not supported by science and in fact, are a myth and a […]