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by - Julie Fleming One of the biggest mistakes I made was not knowing exactly what kind of medical care my father would want. Worse yet, I thought I’d done it right. I’ll tell you more in the video, but here’s the spoiler: depending on what happens with your parent, an advance directive that tells you what to do if your parent is physically incapacitated may not give you the information you need. The take-away:
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by - Julie Fleming A late-night video discussing how to make decisions as an Alzheimer’s caregiver: ask yourself, what is the next right step?
 by - Julie Fleming
Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s does exactly as its title suggests: it will teach you how to speak with your parent using language and other communication techniques that people with Alzheimer’s can more readily understand. The key point: do not try to correct or re-orient your parent with Alzheimer’s Disease, but enter their world instead. The sooner you can absorb this lesson, the less difficult your life will be. by Julie Fleming
Teepa Snow is one of the best Alzheimer’s educators I’ve ever met. She combines a deep understanding of the science behind the disease with an equally deep understanding of people, and the result is a caring and effective approach to caring for those who have Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias. The video Challenging Behaviors will walk you through how to think about troubling behaviors and how to solve the needs that underlie them. I highly recommend all of Teepa Snow’s training DVDs, which you can find here.  by - Julie Fleming
The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide for Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementias, and Memory Loss is the classic go-go book on Alzheimer’s Disease, with many editions in print. It discusses the nature and progression of Alzheimer’s Disease, offers help for medical and behavioral issues, make decisions concerning care and living arrangements, and find support as a caregiver. The 36-Hour Day is useful because it describes everything that may happen in the course of the disease. That strength, however, is what will break your heart as a caregiver. I urge you to use the book as a reference and not to read it cover to cover, because much of what is described may never happen to your parent and reading the parade of horribles is too much to bear. by - Julie Fleming Being an Alzheimer’s caregiver will mean experiencing many moments of sadness, loss, and grief. While it may seem easy (and even necessary) to ignore them to the extent that’s possible, pausing to acknowledge them will be far more helpful. Here’s why and how to do it.  by - Julie Fleming
I like I’m Still Here: A New Philosophy of Alzheimer’s Care because it explicitly counters the line you’ll hear over and over: “he just isn’t himself anymore.” My belief is that someone who has Alzheimer’s Disease is still himself, just different. The kernel of who your parent is will remain even though you often may be unable to find it. This book operates from the same philosophy and addresses how to access the abilities that remain as the disease progresses. by - Julie FlemingAs an Alzheimer’s caregiver, you may find that your own self-care is the first thing to slip off your task list. It’s understandable, especially since you’re probably already feeling pressed for time. But you have to find a way to fit self-care into your schedule. Watch today’s video to find out why it’s so important (including what happened to me that made me learn this lesson) and how you can fit it in. by - Julie Fleming Being an Alzheimer’s caregiver is demanding, and it’s easy to let your own self-care slide to the point that you begin to feel burned out. I’ve been there too. The good news is that it’s quite possible to recover from burnout. In today’s video, I’ll share three foundational steps that you can take to begin to recover your energy.
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Author: Julie FlemingJulie provided love & care for her father, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in the fall of 2011 and with vascular dementia in 2014, until he died in 2017. And she had to learn it all the hard way. Sound familiar? Archives
March 2019
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10 Tips - Comfort for Caregivers. Are you and individual or corporation that would like to assist others in this journey?
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