If you've been a dementia caregiver for any length of time, then I don't have to convince you that it is one the hardest roads to walk. That it takes a heavy emotional and physical toll. Caregivers are 30 times more likely to be depressed than non-caregivers. Up to 40% of caregivers die before the one they are caring for. If dementia is new to you, it can feel like you've been dropped on another planet, where none of the rules you've always known apply. Down to the most basic

People with dementia are still people, prone to getting cranky, upset, scared, and the whole rest of the big bag of emotions we all draw from. But the difference is that they are losing the ability to put their feelings into words, and how they express those feelings aren't always so obvious. And maybe they are losing their filter so they are more likely to say inappropriate or hurtful things. Their reasoning ability might be failing them, so irrational accusations might not

The grief experienced when someone you love has dementia is a unique type of grief. The person you love is still here, but you are already losing parts of them as the disease changes them, and those losses trigger grief. Not only that, but it's a series of losses. It's what I've come to call "rolling grief" in my work with caregivers, where fresh waves of grief are triggered over and over again, as new losses reveal themselves. You're doing the hard work of grieving all while

Once a month, I'll answer your questions about dementia and care-giving here in my blog. If you've got a question, feel free to submit it. Question: Any tips for how to deal with inevitable power struggles? My partner has dementia, and was always the decisive one in the relationship and now I have had to take over that role. After years of being in that role, it seems like he has a hard time accepting me doing what he has been used to doing. Just telling him it’s time to go t