Julie’s Blog
How to have difficult conversations with the ABCDE approach
When it is time to have a difficult conversation with the older adult in your life, how you approach the conversation may dictate the outcome. If you use the ABCDE approach, you are more likely to have a productive conversation that leaves everyone satisfied and...
Healthy Habits When You Get an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
A relative recently told me that her mother was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. I asked what medicine she was put on by her doctor and I was told none. The doctor doesn't believe the medicines to control Alzheimer's symptoms are effective or safe. So what...
What I learned from someone with Alzheimer’s Disease
I had a client named Dorothy. When I first met her she was in the mild to moderate range of Alzheimer's. I was with her for three years as her disease progressed and in that time I learned so much from her. You may think that is strange but I truly learned a lot from...
Pain and Depression
Are Pain & Depression Related? Pain for people of all ages can go hand-in-hand with depression. There is strong clinical evidence that these two conditions are linked. It is not only that people who are in pain feel depressed because they can't do the things they...
Ageism in Medicine
I will never forget Doris who lived in the elderly apartment building I ran. She had a persistent cough so she went to her doctor. He told her it was all in her head and gave her cough syrup and Prozac. She said malarkey (not really she used a swear word) and went for...
How to know that something is not right and needs attention
How do you know that changes you notice in your older family member need attention and are not just normal aging? You need to start with knowing what is normal for that person. You need to be concerned when you observe something abnormal. For example, a messy house...
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