Caregiver Relief: For those who care for a loved one with Alzheimer's Disease

Welcome to my very first blog. I have been looking for a way to reach and help caregivers for quite some time, and if someone who is struggling to take care of a loved one finds solutions in these pages, I will be pleased. For the past 15 years as a Gerontologist working in the aging field I have met hundreds of families who have found themselves in the position of caring for a family member and are at loss as to what to do and how to do it. In the days and pages to come I will be addressing a number of topics including:

· So your parents can no longer live alone?
· When the doctor says your mom has Alzheimer’s.
· Assisted Living answers for first-time caregivers.
· How to keep your parents out of a Nursing Home.
· How to help your surviving parent cope when their spouse dies.
· Hiring and keeping help for your parents when they don’t want it.
· Getting the car keys from Dad, “grounding” your parents.
· Shingles, Tingles and Wrinkles. Caregiving the new frontier.
· How to save money without sacrificing care.
· How to keep the nursing home from eating up your inheritance.
· When your parent's wishes and their care needs conflict.
· How to be a good parent to your parents – reversing roles.
· Family dynamics: Denial – getting over the guilt

The underlying theme in all these topics is stress management, by helping caregivers to cope by educating and guiding them through the maze of health care services and programs. There are dozens of anecdotes and stories that I will be using to illustrate the many topics and situations that caregivers face. My emphasis will be on caring for the caregiver. If you are a caregiver, I hope you find help and solutions here, and I welcome your feedback, questions and comments.