How you help your loved one cope with the death of a pet will vary depending upon their stage of memory loss and their ability to understand what has occurred. Keep in mind their illness may impact the way they express emotions or want to be comforted. Here are some tips to consider.

For a caregiver, coping with a loved one who has been a heavy drinker all of their life is a challenge, including the loved one’s hampered cognition, heightened emotions, and physical impairment. Caregivers need to deal with the issue on many fronts. Here’s how.

To find a way to keep your loved one’s brain active and healthy, start by thinking about the types of activities or hobbies your loved one likes best. No matter what activity it is, pursuing hobbies regularly will keep their mind and body active, and in some cases allow them to engage more deeply in social activities.

The typical chaos, excitement, and joy of the holiday season can be overwhelming for someone with Alzheimer’s disease. But with a little planning ahead, you can make holiday gatherings more enjoyable and less stressful for all involved. 

While there isn’t a way to create more time in the day, there are methods that can help you get the most out of every minute. Here are some strategies to help manage time effectively and free up time for yourself.

Communicating with a loved one with Alzheimer's can be challenging, as the illness robs your loved one of their abilities to remember and process information during a conversation. But there are ways you can make it easier for both of you to communicate effectively.

It’s a curious aspect of American culture that while it is inevitable that everyone will die at some point in their life, no one seems very eager to plan for that eventuality. But, talking to your loved one now about funeral plans, no matter how far off, will save you a large amount of aggravation and uncertainty in the future.

No personal care activity is more challenging than helping your loved one bathe or shower. Because bathing is such a uniquely private activity, your loved one may not want your help. But for most of our loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, the time will come when they need some assistance. To ensure success with this important activity, tailor your support to match your loved one’s ability.

While having your loved one wandering around the house might be challenging to you as a caregiver, it’s not necessarily unsafe. However, some wandering can be dangerous, including going into areas of the house such as stairwells, decks, hot tubs, or swimming pools. Also dangerous is your loved one leaving the house, yard, or property alone. To address the challenges of your loved one wandering, you can try some of these tactics.

As Alzheimer's disease changes an individual's ability to remember and think, it can also change the ability to control emotion. Up to 40 percent of people suffering from Alzheimer's disease will also suffer from significant depression. Since your loved one may be unable to articulate their feelings, family caregivers may be called on to help identify symptoms of depression. The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia can help in this situation.

Music is one of the most ancient forms of human communication and entertainment, and also has clinical benefits. Here’s how to do music therapy with your loved one at home.

The challenge that family caregivers face is to learn acceptance, to live in the present moment, and to let go of things you cannot control. This is a challenge to be sure, but if there can be any joy in caregiving, this is where it is.

For caregivers some of their greatest challenges come from the mood, personality, and behavior changes that can occur as Alzheimer’s disease impacts the brain. Here are some recommendations for handling these situations.

Coping with memory loss can be a time of sadness and frustration for both the person affected and their family, friends, and caregiver. Here are some of the tips shared from others who have faced life with Alzheimer’s disease.

How to use the "Think FAST" technique to help get your loved one “unstuck” from a distressing topic and instead think about things that generate positive thoughts

For people with Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety can complicate their course and significantly reduce their quality of life and interpersonal relationships. Here's how you can help.

The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease affect both the patient and those who interact with them -- especially caregivers. As Alzheimer’s alters the ability of the patient to think and function, those changes can impact others. Listed below are some common challenges you may face and the strategies we’ve found that can help.

Nearly 40 to 50% of patients with dementia develop apathy in the early and intermediate stages of their disease. Here are the key symptoms to look for in your loved one.

Forty percent of people with Alzheimer’s Disease also suffer from significant depression, threatening the quality of life for both patients and their caregivers. Here is how to get help and plan strategies to face this additional challenge.

Over the last 20 years, extensive research, at Harvard and other prestigious universities, has shown that only 20 minutes of daily meditation has dramatic effects on physical health.