Easing the Stress of Caregiving

For millions of Americans who have assumed the role of caregiver to a loved one, the round-the-clock physical and emotional demands can cause feelings of stress to steadily compound. In fact, stress is the number one cause of caregiver burnout. There are, however, some basic steps that can be taken to keep stress to a minimum and help ensure the caregiver's well-being receives ongoing attention.

Nursing Homes: Making the Right Choice

Emma’s family didn’t know what to do. Her son put grab bars in the shower. Her daughter brought lunch over every day. The neighbors checked in often. But at 82 Emma needed more help. Staying home alone just wasn’t working for Emma.

Could It Be Alzheimer's? 10 Possible Early Warning Signs

It's normal to every once in a while forget a phone number, the day of the week, or what you just came in to a room to do. Memory changes, confusion, and disorientation associated with Alzheimer's, however, grow progressively worse over time. The early-stage warning signs may develop gradually and go unnoticed, or, in many cases, they're initially mistaken for the normal aging process.

Give the Gift of Time to Someone You Know Who's a Caregiver

Many of us have a close friend or relative who's a family caregiver whom we'd like to help, but are unsure of just what we can do. Consider giving the gift of time. Time for them to step aside from their round-the-clock caregiving responsibilities and do something that helps them attend to their own physical and emotional well-being.

Online Health Information: Can You Trust It?

There are thousands of health-related websites on the Internet. Some of the information on these websites is reliable and can be trusted. Some of it is not. Some of the information is current. Some of it is not. Choosing which website to trust is worth thinking about.

New Test Developed to Determine Onset of Alzheimer's

Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles say they have created the first test that can record the onset of Alzheimer's disease. It’s currently estimated that Alzheimer's, a degenerative brain disease that causes memory loss, disorientation, depression and decay of bodily functions, affects as many as 4 million Americans.

Sandwich Generation

By Michelle Gottlieb, Psy.D., MFT

Are you part of the Sandwich Generation? If you are a caretaker of both your parents and your children, guess what? You are! Our parents were part of the Sandwich Generation with their parents. Our children will be part of a Sandwich Generation taking care of us. It is part of life.

Avoiding Caregiver Burnout

Dealing with illness and its different stages--whether temporary or long-term, whether the brain is affected or another part of the body--brings on challenges and pulls on many different emotions for the individual who's personally affected, as well as for the family members dedicated to caring for them. It's important to know how best to regulate these feelings.

Depression and Stroke

Depression can strike anyone, but people with serious illnesses such as stroke are at greater risk. Appropriate diagnosis and treatment of depression can bring substantial benefits to persons recovering from a stroke by improving their medical status, enhancing their quality of life, reducing their pain and disability, and even shortening the rehabilitation process.

Gene Modifying Study Shedding New Light on Alzheimer's and Other Neuro-Degenerative Diseases

In a University of Rochester laboratory study that could help in deciphering neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, scientists are finding that genetically altered mice learned and remembered better when subjected to tricky maze exercises.

Newborns’ Umbilical Cords May Provide Cells For Repairing Brains Damaged By Strokes, Alzheimer’s and Other Neurological Ills

Free of the ethical concerns surrounding the use of fetal tissue, umbilical cords discarded after birth could provide a vast new source of repair material for fixing brains damaged by Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurological disorders.