15. Personal Care Essentials: Shaving, Nails, Dental and Hair for Dementia Care

I wish I’d realized I didn’t have to complete grooming tasks at one time! As caregivers for our loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, we’ve learned that shaving, trimming nails, brushing teeth and trimming hair – what we’re calling personal care – can become challenging. These challenges often arise around the same time as bathing and dressing difficulties. How we provide support for our loved one will vary based on whether they stay at home during their journey or move into a care community. Not surprisingly, personal care is an area where many tips can be provided! Through our experiences, what we’ve learned from support groups, and others on their journeys, we’ve developed four initial areas of tips to help you and your care receiver with their personal care.

14. Threads of Care, Washing Away Worries: Four Tips for Dressing and Bathing in Dementia Caregiving

We wish we’d known we could let the shower go away much earlier in our caregiving journeys. As caregivers for our loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, we’ve learned bathing and dressing can become significant challenges. These activities are often early signs of transitioning from the initial phase of the caregiving journey where we’re simply prompting and helping them, to what we call the “messy middle”, when we begin asserting more control. We are Nancy Treaster and Sue Ryan. Through our experiences, what we’ve learned from support groups, and others on their journeys, we’ve developed four important tips to help you navigate bathing and dressing for your care receiver.

13. Through the Night: Your Compassionate Guide to Overnight Incontinence in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Receivers

Wisdom we wish we had about all phases of incontinence before it began. As caregivers for our loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, we’ve learned overnight incontinence is one of the most challenging aspects of the journey. It’s not a topic often discussed, yet it’s a reality for us to face with compassion, dignity, and preparation. We are Nancy Treaster and Sue Ryan. Through our experiences, and what we’ve learned from support groups and others on their journeys, we’ve developed four important tips to help you navigate overnight incontinence on your caregiving journey.

12. When Dignity Meets Dependence: Mastering Bowel Incontinence and Bedbound Incontinence Care for Your Loved One with Alzheimer’s or other Dementias

Wisdom We Wish We Had About Incontinence Once It Began. As caregivers for our loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, we’ve learned that full incontinence is an inevitable part of our journey. It’s a topic not often discussed, yet it’s a reality for us to navigate with compassion, dignity, and preparation — for both us and our care receiver. We are Nancy Treaster and Sue Ryan.

11. Gentle Hands, Clean Start: Mastering Cleaning Your Care Receiver

Three Indispensable Tips for Easier Incontinence Care. We both wish we knew how to navigate all aspects of incontinence in our care receiver before it began. As caregivers for our loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, we’ve learned managing incontinence is one of the most challenging aspects of our journey. It’s a topic where having detailed information is vital to our adjusting to this part of our journey mentally, physically, and emotionally. We are Nancy Treaster and Sue Ryan. Through our experiences, and insights we’ve learned from others in support groups, we’ve developed three indispensable tips to help you navigate the important component of incontinence care with your care receiver – cleaning them.

10. Caregiving’s Hidden Challenges: Embracing Incontinence in Dementia Care with Compassion, Grace and Dignity

Who knew that understanding the stages of incontinence could make such a difference in our caregiving journey? As caregivers for our loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, we’ve learned incontinence is an inevitable — and can be — a challenging part of our journey. It’s a reality and a topic that’s not often discussed. It’s helpful for us to be prepared to navigate incontinence with compassion, grace, and dignity for our care receivers — and for us!

9. Incontinence: The Unspoken Challenge in Caregiving

Incontinence can be one of the most difficult areas of our caregiving journeys. It’s personal. It’s awkward. It’s rarely something discussed — by anyone — making it potentially uncomfortable to talk about. It’s also one of the most important areas to navigate with compassion and dignity — for us and for our care receiver.

8. Preparing Young Adults for a Family Member’s Dementia Journey

When a close family member is diagnosed with dementia, it can be uniquely challenging for young adults to navigate this new reality. We are Nancy and Merritt Treaster. During Merritt’s 20’s, his father, age 60, was diagnosed with Frontotemporal dementia. His grandfather, age 85, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

7. Home Safety Tips for Caregivers of Loved Ones with Dementia

You’re going to wish you’d known about padding hard corners earlier in your caregiving journey! We are Nancy Treaster and Sue Ryan. Through our experiences as caregivers for our family members and loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, we’ve learned ensuring home safety is both vitally important and ever-changing. In this post, we’re sharing three main tips for managing safety — both inside and outside the home. These help you keep your loved one safe while giving you peace of mind.

6. Leaving Your Loved One at Home Alone: Six Essential Tips

You’re going to wish you knew about the fifth tip for managing your loved one’s independence much earlier! We are Sue Ryan and Nancy Treaster. As caregivers for our family members with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, we’ve learned leaving them at home alone can be a challenging and anxiety-inducing experience, whether they are living with us or living on their own. In this post, we’re sharing six tips we’ve developed to help you navigate this phase of your caregiving journey, helping your care receiver maintain their independence while ensuring their safety.