Dementia Dimensions

Dementia Resource Center Blog for At Home Caregivers

  • Ask Mary

I come from a dysfunctional family which adds a lot of weight to the challenges of caregiving. What are some of the strategies I can use to help with this? -Debbie C.

Caring for a parent or loved one with dementia is tough enough. When you add in multiple adult children (i.e., siblings) who may hold differing opinions about what is “best,” the situation can become emotionally charged or even harmful to the relationships of those involved. Disagreements about decisions, roles, and responsibilities add significantly to overall stress and can erode both relationships and care quality for the person living with dementia.
  • Emotional, Physical

Active Aging with Dementia

Active Aging Week celebrates the idea that aging is not defined by limitations, but by possibilities. For individuals living with dementia, this belief is powerful.
  • Emotional, Physical

The Power of Microbreaks: Small Steps to Protect Caregiver Wellbeing

Caring for a loved one with dementia is a journey filled with love, responsibility, and for many, exhaustion. Caregivers can find themselves constantly “on call,” with little space for rest.
  • Engagement, Physical

Aging Healthy with Dementia: 5 Tips for Wellness

A diagnosis of dementia changes life in many ways, but it does not erase the possibility of living fully and aging with health, dignity, and purpose.
  • Caregiver Perspective, Emotional, Joy Plan, Physical, Uncategorized

The Healing Power of Pets in Dementia Care

For many families, pets are more than companions. They are a source of unconditional love, comfort, and joy. When it comes to supporting people living with dementia, the presence of an animal can provide unique benefits that extend beyond companionship.
  • Caregiver Perspective, Emotional, Engagement, Joy Plan, Uncategorized

Nostalgia Can Spark Meaningful Moments and Positive Interactions

A painful reality with most forms of dementia is that sufferers progressively lose the ability to accurately recall autobiographical memories. This absence of reliable memories leads to frustrating moments for the person living with the disease and can have damaging effects to the person’s sense of self-worth as recall begins to fade.
  • Uncategorized

Pain Management with Dementia

Certain pain management drugs like Gabapentin have been linked to increased risks of dementia according to new study. Gabapentin, or Neurontin, has been widely prescribed since 1993 for treating epilepsy, nerve pain from shingles, chronic pain, anxiety, and insomnia.
  • Emotional, Engagement, Physical

When the Clock Does Not Make Sense: Understanding Time Disorientation with Dementia

As dementia progresses, one of the more disorienting and sometimes heartbreaking symptoms caregivers face is their loved one’s loss of understanding of time.
  • Caregiver Perspective, Emotional

Why “Aging in America: Survive or Thrive” Is Essential Viewing for Dementia Caregivers

Streaming now on PBS or Amazon Prime, the documentary "Aging in America: Survive or Thrive" zeroes in on the challenges—and opportunities—of an aging society.
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