What is an Advance Directive? Advance Directive is a broad category of legal medical instructions for your healthcare. A Living Will, Health Care Proxy (Durable Power of Attorney for Health), Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR), Do Not Intubate (DNI), Do Not Hospitalize (DNH) and POLST are all types of advance directives. (Jump to Lessons Learned) Advance directive – This document … [Read more...]
How Do You Communicate With A Loved One Living With Alzheimer’s?
Even with Alzheimer's your loved one responds to what you are doing. Alzheimer’s is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases that cause the symptoms of dementia. The term “neurodegenerative” clearly explains what is occurring in the brain: Neuro – “messenger” Degenerative – “destroy” To understand this destruction of messages, it helps to understand that within the … [Read more...]
What is Dementia? What is Alzheimer’s?
Are Dementia and Alzheimer's the same? Dementia and Alzheimer's are not the same even though many people use the terms interchangeably. Dementia is not a disease. Dementia is the category of symptoms that shows a decline in cognitive ability severe enough to interfere with activities of daily living. Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease. If a loved one is having … [Read more...]
I Don’t Fear Getting Old, I Do Fear Getting Alzheimer’s.
Stepping into Dementia: A Virtual Tour Recently I was given the opportunity to take the “Virtual Dementia Tour.” I jumped on it. This program comes out of research conducted by PK Beville, M.S. and founder of Second Wind Dreams®. The Virtual Dementia Tour (VDT) is an experiential learning experience that uses patented sensory tools which alter your senses while you try … [Read more...]
Estate Attorney or Elder Care Attorney?
Who are you going to call? As we get older it is often recommended that we go to an estate attorney to prepare a will and other estate documents. Scary terms are thrown around like probate, estate taxes, trusts, per stirpes and statutory. We know that we want to take care of our family and other loved ones after we are gone, but what is the difference between an Estate and … [Read more...]