Kathy Lawrence
Tips on juggling work, family – and two parents with dementia
Written by Kathy Lawrence This week’s storyteller is Anita.One parent with dementia is tough. Anita Avery found herself trying to hold down a job, take care of a family, and look after two parents – one with Alzheimer’s and the other with vascular dementia. We asked Anita to share the lessons her experience has taught […]
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Talking about dementia – blogging and how it helps
This week’s storyteller is Jill Sinclair. In honour of Dementia Awareness Week Jill talks about caring for her dad who has dementia and how her blog helps her work through the new challenges she faces. She hopes that by publicly sharing her experiences she will encourage others dealing with dementia to learn more about it […]
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Cruise review: recuperative, fun or a health challenge?
Written by Kathy Lawrence Update. Cruises are massively popular today, and some countries and cities have started to put a limit on how many visitors they are willing to accept. If you’re thinking of booking a cruise for yourself or a relative, the latest Which? report on cruises has been published in February 2020. It […]
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Reaching the other side of dementia care
This week’s storyteller has chosen to be anonymous. Our storyteller this week coped with the massive demands of caring for a mother with dementia, and is now reclaiming her life. Looking back she realises there was an imbalance in caring responsibilities between herself and her siblings and their families. As a full-time working mum, I […]
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Cool, calm and collected or collapsing, crying and crumpling?
However much we love our parents, taking on responsibility for their challenges can be incredibly stressful, especially as we have no idea of knowing when the next crisis will occur. Our expert Dr De-Stress explains how stress can undermine our well-being and offers tips on what to do about it. Life can be demanding, especially […]
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Remembering the real mum
This week’s storyteller has chosen to be anonymous. Losing a parent forever and finding them again. Dementia can take a parent away emotionally long before they leave you physically. But it’s not always the end. Today I felt a connection with my mum. It’s been a while, and it was lovely. Mum died four years […]
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How can I get mum to take my worries about her seriously?
Dear Lesley I’m so worried about my mum. She’s had two falls in the last few months, with the last one resulting in her cutting her head open in three places. After the last fall I took her to see a lovely retirement flat that has a warden but offers independent living. She liked it […]
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Who takes responsibility when it’s a more distant relative who needs help?
Dear Lesley We were visiting my parents over the Christmas holiday – I thought the visit would be an opportunity to see how they are getting on, as they are both in their 80s now, and was looking forward to a bit of a break myself. As it turned out, they are not doing so […]
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Does my aunt need to be in a care home or not?
Dear Lesley My elderly aunt is currently living in a care home. She moved there following several near accidents with hot saucepans and irons and some very bad falls. At the time she also appeared to be showing signs of dementia. In her new environment she appears to have completely recovered mentally. Her mobility is […]
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How do I cope with constant repetitive questions?
Dear Lesley I have been asked a question I couldn’t answer today by my neighbour who cares for her mother and a lady she cleans for, both of whom have memory loss. Her mother repeated the same thing 10 times today and the lady she cleans for asked her the same thing 16 times last […]
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