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Diane

Caring For The Caregiver Next Door

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how to support caregivers

Today I’m sharing an adaptation of an article I wrote for SixtyandMe. I hope you’ll consider joining this dynamic community of women embracing life after age 60.

How well do you know your neighbors? According to the National Alliance For Caregiving, 34.2 million Americans provided unpaid care to an adult age 50 or older in the last 12 months. The NAFC also reports that the average family caregiver spends 24.4 hours per week providing care. That’s a lot of time on top of their many other responsibilities. So chances are good that someone in your neighborhood is a caregiver and could use some extra care themselves.

I trust you’ll find these 6 tips helpful as you care for the caregivers in your neighborhood.

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Let’s Celebrate National Plant A Flower Day

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nursing home activities for plant a flower day

I don’t know about you, but March is always a loooong month for me. The cold and colorless days of winter lose their charm, and I long for the sunny, colorful days of summer. For this reason, I think National Plant A Flower Day is the perfect holiday to celebrate with your residents at this time of year.

Here are some ideas to get you started. Please add your suggestions in the comment section!

Spark A Lively Discussion

  • Look through seed catalogs and reminisce about your residents’ flower gardens of the past. (If you request catalogs now, they should reach you by March 12.)

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9 Books To Teach Kids About Dementia

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books to help kids learn about dementia

Someone recently asked me about books I recommend for people who want to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease. Thankfully, today many excellent books address the various types of dementia—more than I’m able to cover in one blog post.

So, today I decided to begin by sharing several books that help children understand dementia. It’s often confusing and even scary for kids when they watch someone they love going through the changes that come with a diagnosis of dementia. These books provide a gentle explanation of what’s happening and prompt kids to bring up any questions and concerns.

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You Can Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

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research studies on Alzheimer's disease

Do you have relatives diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia? My dad lived with the many challenges of dementia for several years. As a result, I want to do whatever I can to help researchers figure out how to prevent these conditions.

Yesterday I signed up for a program that just might provide much-needed answers. It’s called GeneMatch, and it’s sponsored by the National Institute On Aging (a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Over 290,000 people have registered so far, and the goal is 500,000.

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Are You Tired Of Negative News?

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music for nursing home residents

Many of you know how much I enjoy listening to TED talks. It’s been quite a long time since I’ve shared one with you, so today I’m posting one of my favorites. This story is truly amazing!

Are you familiar with TED Talks? They’re videos of brief talks presented at TED (technology, entertainment, design) conferences in locations around the world.

TED Talks cover just about any topic you can imagine, and they tend to be very positive and inspiring. Sometimes when the TV news becomes too negative and discouraging I’ll tune in to a TED Talk instead.

I hope you’ll take a mere 15 minutes out of your day and watch this incredible video. Please share it with your residents, too. I know they’ll enjoy it, especially those with an interest in music.

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