A Note From Carol
Dear Friends,
I don't need I remind any of you that May is the month
to celebrate mother's. It's also the month my mother
died. How do I view this Mother's Day thing? Perhaps
it's strange, but though I have two grown sons,
Mother's Day to me was always about "the mothers" -
my mother and my mother-in-law. Like I wasn't one?
The Mother's Day after Mom's death was, of course,
difficult. I always think of her Mother's Day, and I
always will. She's still my mom. But, I've finally taken
Mother's Day as my own day, as well.
There is something about being "up to bat," so to
speak; about being the oldest generation. I'm no
longer anybody's kid. I'm, as my much younger sister
puts it, the family matriarch. True, but a bit hard to
digest.
We'll all be marking Mother's Day one way or another -
even if it's just a mental thing. After all, we all did have
mothers. Some were better than others, at this job of
mothering. When you read "Caring for parents
who didn't care for you," you'll know you are not alone,
if you have issues there.
A newly discovered (for me) site that I'm enjoying is
www.aplaceformom.com. It's an excellent site, full of
information and articles. Check out the story on
dementia care at home. It's one a many good articles
on the site. It just seemed right to focus on A Place for
Mom, during May.
Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers. And happy
Mother's Day, Mom. Now you can enjoy it without pain.
Carol
Quick Links...
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Hello!
Welcome to Minding Our Elders! Our hope is to break
the isolation that caregivers often feel. We'd also like
to share ideas, comfort and information that will help
you along your caregiving journey. Finally, we'll be
adding some articles on health and even travel for
caregivers, boomers and seniors. Thanks for reading.
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Caring for Parents Who Didn't Care for You
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Last week, a journalist (we'll call her Nancy) wanted to
interview me about some caregiving issues. We
chatted a bit about the article she was writing and she
got some quotes. During the talk, we bonded.
As Nancy talked, she described the turmoil she is
facing as her parents age. I was able to assure her
that she is not alone in her feelings. She grew up with
an abusive mother. The abuse was physical as well
as emotional. Her father was gone much of the time,
doing what most men of that generation did. He was
making a living for his family and that was his role as
he saw it. He wasn't around much and
didn't "interfere" with the raising of the children.
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Will You Receive a 'Negative Inheritance?'
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"Negative inheritance," a term coined by Laurence
Kotlikoff, a professor at Boston University, describes
the situation when the costs to children of caring for
aging relatives outstrip any gifts or bequests they
might receive in return.
A large portion of baby boomers find themselves
becoming the caregivers for their parents. Many of
these caregivers want to care for their parents and are
pleased to be able to help, but it takes a huge
financial and emotional toll.
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Different Stages of Alzheimer's Require Different Methods of Caregiving
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Because people with Alzheimer's disease are a
diverse group of individuals from different
backgrounds and different lifestyles, activities need to
be tailored accordingly. However, there are reasons
why some activities may be better than others
depending on which stage of Alzheimer's the person
is experiencing. A way of thinking about this is to
consider a 'reverse childhood' model. Some
academics have adapted the highly influential
childhood development model put, forward by Jean
Piaget (1896-1980), in order to illustrate the process
of cognitive decline.
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Can Antioxidants Reverse or Prevent Alzheimer's Disease?
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According to new findings published in a recent issue
of the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, we have another reason to celebrate. The
release, found on medicalnewstoday.com and
titled "Antioxidant Therapy Shows Early Promise
Against Alzheimer's Disease - Improved Blood Flow
Boosted Cognition And Behavior In Mice With AD-Like
Illness," gives hope that there are ways of "shutting
off" the damaging effects of free radicals that could
even reverse already diagnosed Alzheimer's.
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A Place For Mom's Guide To Dementia Care At Home
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Even though most dementia cases come from
irreversible causes, there is still so much dementia
care that families can do to help their loved ones
continue to function as well as possible for as long as
possible. Creating a safe, comfortable, and supportive
environment for someone with dementia can feel like
a daunting and even overwhelming task for the
caregiver, but fortunately there are now some
accepted standards of dementia care that can help
guide families to care for their loved one.
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About Carol
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Caregiving expert Carol Bradley Bursack, Author,
speaker and columnist, presents a collection of
articles, stories, news and research for you to
browse. Please check the blog and Web site links for
more information and feel free to email Carol at
carol@mindingourelders.com to chat or ask
questions.
If your group or organization would like to buy "Minding
Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories"
in bulk, please email carol@mindingourelders.com
for information.
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