From the desk of Rosemary Laird, MD
Founder of Navigating Aging Needs (NAN), LLC
Change Is In The Air
For caregivers of a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's disease, change can carry a special burden. As the disease progresses, you may find yourself continually adjusting to new challenges, from changes in your loved one's memory and behavior to increasing responsibilities for their daily care. And along the way, your own life, your relationships, and your routines may be changing, too.
Want To Have a Better Day? Plan It!
Time can be your enemy--or your best friend. For a caregiver of a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s, finding enough time, making sure that things get done on time, and managing time can all be a challenge. But if it’s done right, planning and scheduling time can be one of the most powerful tools in your caregiver kit.
Spring Forward
The change in time can be even more challenging for your loved one suffering from Alzheimer's. They may not understand that a time change has occurred, and thus efforts to keep to their regular schedule, which is so important in your caregiving efforts, gets thrown off course.
Get Cozy!
When cold weather strikes, the first thing you need to pay attention to is your physical health: Make sure you and your loved one have warm clothes, adequate heating, and foot protection against icy walkways.
But there is another aspect of dealing with the cold that is just as important, and that is keeping your mental health strong. And for that, I recommend that we all follow the lead of Scandinavians: After all, the people of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden know something about cold weather!
The Longest Day!
June 20th marks the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the astronomical event where the earth’s axis of rotation tilts closest to the sun, resulting in our longest day and shortest night of the year.