Articles

Minding our Elders: Staying ahead of Alzheimer’s wandering

DEAR CAROL: My mom has mid-stage Alzheimer’s. She lives with me and, for now, seems safe enough at home while I’m at work. What concerns me is that she’s started talking about wanting to “go home.”

• Carol Bradley Bursack

Minding Our Elders: Medication could cause slurred speech, drooling

DEAR CAROL: My mom has several medications to help with various health problems. Lately, her speech has been slurred and she seems to be drooling quite a bit. The symptoms appear to be the most pronounced shortly after she’s taken her medications, but she has some symptoms intermittently all day. She also complains of a headache nearly every day, so we are having her eyes checked next week just to be sure, although her glasses are quite new. Can medications cause these problems?

• Carol Bradley Bursack

Minding Our Elders: Serene atmosphere can relax care receiver

I’ve suggested that since Mom gets excellent care at the nursing home, my sister should visit less often so she can have more time for herself, but she gets defensive. I visit Mom as often as I can. How can I convince Mary that if she is more rested, she and Mom are both better off?

• Carol Bradley Bursack

Minding Our Elders: Dementia aggression difficult to control

DEAR CAROL: My 79-year-old mother is on medication for aggression due to her dementia, but she still has periodic violent outbursts where she kicks and hits me. Her psychiatrist has tried several drugs in small doses to avoid side effects, but most of them leave her sleepy and have had little positive effect.

• Carol Bradley Bursack

Minding Our Elders: What is assisted living?

Mom really should have help bathing and someone should monitor her medications. Even dressing is getting to be a chore because of severe arthritis. The problem is that the facility wants to charge more to provide these services. I thought this kind of care is what assisted living is about. – Greg

• Carol Bradley Bursack

Minding Our Elders: Daughter overwhelmed with parents’ sudden care needs

A year ago, my mother had a heart attack. She came out of it fairly well, but still can’t do much around the house. Then, last month my dad had a stroke. I’m an only child and feel overwhelmed with all of this.

• Carol Bradley Bursack

Minding Our Elders: Help elders endure isolation due to flu outbreak

With the flu outbreak, the nursing home where my mother lives has isolated residents and is not allowing visitors. Marie says Mom is very upset. Mom understands when Marie tells her on the phone why she can’t visit, but then Mom quickly forgets and calls wondering why my Marie’s not there. What can we do to make Mom feel better?

• Carol Bradley Bursack

Minding Our Elders: Hearing loss adds to problems of dementia

DEAR CAROL: My mom is 89-years-old, lives in assisted living and has dementia. She also has substantial hearing loss which isn’t helped very much by her hearing aids. Her dementia prevents her from understanding closed caption TV, so that spoils TV as entertainment for her. Basically, she’s bored and miserable.

Minding our Elders: Mom mixes up medications

DEAR CAROL: My mom lives alone and seems to be suffering some form of dementia, though her doctor hasn’t pinned it down to one kind. Right now, the problem is how to manage her medications and vitamins. She’s supposed to be taking three medications daily, plus a vitamin.

• Carol Bradley Bursack

Minding our Elders: An elder’s fall can cause lasting trauma

DEAR CAROL: Reading your column has helped me care for my 83-year-old mom who has Alzheimer’s disease. Now, I’m writing with my own question. Mom fell while in the memory unit of a very good assisted living center.

• Carol Bradley Bursack

Columns

Bursack: Notes can help when flu halts daily visits

Dear Carol: Last year, during a flu outbreak, the nursing home where my mom lives wouldn’t allow visitors for over a week.

• Carol Bradley Bursack

Bursack: Elder care assistance at your fingertips

Dear Readers: Recently, I renewed my acquaintance with one of the most helpful websites around.

• Carol Bradley Bursack

Bursack: Father has mixed disorders

Dear Carol: My father has Alzheimer’s disease, an adrenal gland problem and now, major depression.

Bursack: Helping caregivers after long absences

Dear Carol: My sister has been the primary caregiver for our dad for nearly five years. I’ve lived out of state, and I haven’t been emotionally or physically available. I’m now retired and moving back to our hometown. I know I’ve been selfish about this and want to make up for my lack of help. How do I approach my sister about helping out? – Missing Sister

Bursack: Mom may be clinically depressed

Dear Carol: My mom is 86 and widowed. While I live over 800 miles away, I talk to her several times a week. Since my Dad’s death five years ago, Mom’s slowly sunk into isolation, loneliness and self-medication with alcohol.

Bursack: Caregivers see holiday challenges

Dear Readers: As caregivers, we want to provide a memorable Christmas for our loved ones. To do that, we often feel we must keep all of our family traditions. The problem is that as our elders age, many of us find that holiday traditions become painfully challenging, if not impossible. I know. I’ve been there.

Bursack: Memory unit may be helpful

Dear Carol: My father has Alzheimer’s disease, and I really don’t know what more I can do for him. He’s paranoid and hard for me to handle. One minute he loves me, but the next minute he hates me. Half the time, he doesn’t even know who I am.

Bursack: Let’s not forget male caregivers

Dear Readers: This is a busy month for celebrating caregivers. It’s National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, National Hospice/Palliative Care Month and National Caregivers Month.

Bursack: Alphabet soup adds to Medicare confusion

Dear Readers: Part one of this two-part series addressed my personal experience of signing up for Medicare Parts A and B as one of the “working aged.”

Bursack: Medicare sign-up turns into adventure

Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series on Medicare. Dear Readers: Questions about signing up for Medicare coverage – for oneself or a parent – come to me regularly.