Finding humor in absurd situations. I received letters from my mother over a course of several months regarding “The Avis Situation.”  We didn’t know at the time that stroke survivors, Alzheimer’s patients, and people with other dementia related diseases often display ... Read More

Finding humor in absurd situations. As a family caregiver, dementia-related inappropriate sexual behavior can be shocking and upsetting.  As professional caregiver, it can be confusing and frustrating, as kindness toward a patient with Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases is ... Read More

Madelyn Kubin (my mother) was a 70 year-old Kansas farm woman who had very poor health, and very little money when my father  suffered a debilitating stroke. The next day he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and Madelyn became his caregiver. One of the ways she survived her six-year caregiving ... Read More

Twenty to fifty percent of caregivers experience depression. * The rates are highest among individuals who care for spouses with dementia.  It is not unusual for caregivers to experience two different types of depression – reactionary and clinical. Reactionary depression is usually a ... Read More

Grief is the normal, natural, healing response we experience when we lose someone or something we value. Caregivers go through a different process known as Preparatory Grief. Preparatory Grief is different from other types of grief in that it requires continual adjustment to ongoing losses. It ... Read More

As a caregiver, the numbers of people and situations with which you can become upset are practically limitless. The list starts with the illness or injury and goes on to include your care receiver, the medical community, the insurance industry, parents, children, siblings, and friends. It helps ... Read More

Cruel and controlling – Guilt is an emotion way over-used by most caregivers The dictionary defines guilt as a sense of having done wrong or having failed in a obligation. Most caregivers get angry, which is not surprising, because the numbers of people and situations with which you can ... Read More

Sometimes when caregivers do something just for themselves they feel like they are taking something away from their care receiver. The opposite is true. Having something to look forward to and doing an activity you enjoy energizes you; it relieves stress, and it helps you to feel refreshed. When ... Read More

Coping with Caregiver Guilt Caregiver speaker Elaine K. Sanchez discusses how guilt can be a cruel and controlling emotion for caregivers. Caregiver Speaker Elaine K. Sanchez, http://wwwElaineKSanchez.com, speaks about the importance of caring for the caregiver. In this video she talks about ... Read More

Meet Madelyn From the keynote address at the Wisconsin State Conference on Alzheimer’s and Related Diseases, Caregiver Speaker, Elaine K. Sanchez, http://www.ElaineKSanchez.com, speaks about the importance of caring for the caregiver. In this segment, she introduces you to her mother, ... Read More