As a family caregiver, you might have noticed some perplexing dementia-related behaviors, such as attempting to eat non-food items like napkins, dirt, or small objects. While these actions may be concerning, they are part of a phenomenon known as pica, which is surprisingly common in individuals with dementia.
https://www.responsive-homecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/senior-man-at-table-looking-off-in-distance.jpg533800Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, Presidenthttps://www.responsive-homecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Responsive-HC_30th-Anniv_logo_lg.pngDebbie Savage, RN, BSN, President2025-04-18 04:04:332025-04-04 21:16:56Help for One of the Most Perplexing Dementia-Related Behaviors
Navigating the challenges of dementia care can be difficult, especially when a loved one becomes fixated on a specific idea or anxious about a nonexistent threat. Reasoning with them often leads to frustration, as logic does not always break through. Instead of arguing, a more effective method is redirection—gently shifting their focus to something calming […]
https://www.responsive-homecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/senior-lady-and-caregiver-looking-at-heirlooms.jpg533800Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, Presidenthttps://www.responsive-homecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Responsive-HC_30th-Anniv_logo_lg.pngDebbie Savage, RN, BSN, President2025-04-04 20:42:492025-04-04 20:42:49Overcoming the Challenges of Dementia Care Through Redirection
When people think about caregiving, they often associate it with stress and exhaustion. However, there’s another side to caregiving that’s less talked about—caregiving can actually benefit your health and well-being in surprising ways.
https://www.responsive-homecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/content-caregiver-sitting-and-looking-at-camera.jpg533800Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, Presidenthttps://www.responsive-homecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Responsive-HC_30th-Anniv_logo_lg.pngDebbie Savage, RN, BSN, President2025-04-01 04:46:042025-04-18 03:35:34Caregiving Can Actually Benefit Your Health and Make You Stronger!
For most people, talking with a friend or loved one is an effortless task. But for those with Parkinson’s disease, communication can be a challenge. Speech difficulties in Parkinson’s include a softened voice, jumbled words, and the frustration of not being understood. These challenges can quickly take a toll.
When a family member starts showing signs of dementia, children often become curious and worried. They might ask, “Why does Pop-Pop keep forgetting where he lives?” or “Is Granny upset with me because she can’t remember my birthday?” As a parent or caregiver, you may not have all the answers at your fingertips, but creating […]
https://www.responsive-homecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/teenager-talking-with-father-on-porch.jpg533800Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, Presidenthttps://www.responsive-homecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Responsive-HC_30th-Anniv_logo_lg.pngDebbie Savage, RN, BSN, President2025-03-13 05:36:522025-03-27 12:13:41When Your Child Has Questions About Dementia, Here’s How to Respond
Do you often find yourself buried under a mountain of requests—another errand, one more favor, yet another responsibility—until your own well-being takes a backseat? Caregiving, especially for a loved one, can make it feel natural to always say yes. However, constantly pushing yourself beyond your limits as a caregiver can lead to exhaustion and emotional […]
https://www.responsive-homecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/caregiver-saying-no-more.jpg533800Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, Presidenthttps://www.responsive-homecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Responsive-HC_30th-Anniv_logo_lg.pngDebbie Savage, RN, BSN, President2025-03-06 02:24:372025-03-27 15:40:26Pushing Yourself Beyond Your Limits as a Caregiver? Learn to Say No.
Do you wake up every day wondering what kind of conflicts you are likely to fall into with your aging parent today? If every day seems fraught with conversations that leave you feeling frustrated, maybe it’s time for you to try something new! Help both of you break out of the rut you’re caught in […]
Chronic illness has a way of reshaping life, for both the person experiencing it and also you, the family caregiver. You can see how it alters the rhythm of their days, forcing them to modify plans and discover new ways to manage the unexpected. While the illness may create obstacles, it doesn’t have to define […]
https://www.responsive-homecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/adult-son-greeting-older-father-with-dementia.jpg533800Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, Presidenthttps://www.responsive-homecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Responsive-HC_30th-Anniv_logo_lg.pngDebbie Savage, RN, BSN, President2025-02-13 05:18:012025-03-27 15:58:40Living Well With a Chronic Health Condition Is Within Your Reach!
You ask an easy question: “What would you like for lunch today?” But instead of a response, you are met with hesitation, bewilderment, and a long pause. You have probably experienced occasions such as this while being a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s, where words seem just out of reach and conversations feel more like […]
https://www.responsive-homecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/happy-caregiving-daughter-with-older-mother.jpg533800Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, Presidenthttps://www.responsive-homecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Responsive-HC_30th-Anniv_logo_lg.pngDebbie Savage, RN, BSN, President2025-02-07 12:57:362025-03-27 16:06:48Discover New Ways to Communicate With Someone With Alzheimer’s
Have you ever reached a point where deciding something as simple as what to eat feels like climbing a mountain? You’re not alone. Making decisions as a dementia caregiver can become overwhelming, leading to a unique kind of mental exhaustion called decision fatigue. When caring for someone with dementia, the decisions don’t just pile up—they […]
https://www.responsive-homecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/caregiver-with-dementia-decision-fatigue.jpg533800Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, Presidenthttps://www.responsive-homecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Responsive-HC_30th-Anniv_logo_lg.pngDebbie Savage, RN, BSN, President2025-01-20 04:19:322025-03-03 19:51:43Why You Might Struggle to Make Decisions as a Dementia Caregiver
Help for One of the Most Perplexing Dementia-Related Behaviors
/in Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's and Dementia Care, Alzheimer's DIsease, Dementia, Diet and Nutrition /by Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, PresidentAs a family caregiver, you might have noticed some perplexing dementia-related behaviors, such as attempting to eat non-food items like napkins, dirt, or small objects. While these actions may be concerning, they are part of a phenomenon known as pica, which is surprisingly common in individuals with dementia.
Overcoming the Challenges of Dementia Care Through Redirection
/in Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's and Dementia Care, Alzheimer's DIsease, Caregiving Tips, Dementia /by Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, PresidentNavigating the challenges of dementia care can be difficult, especially when a loved one becomes fixated on a specific idea or anxious about a nonexistent threat. Reasoning with them often leads to frustration, as logic does not always break through. Instead of arguing, a more effective method is redirection—gently shifting their focus to something calming […]
Caregiving Can Actually Benefit Your Health and Make You Stronger!
/in Caregiving, Caregiving Tips, Family Caregivers, Family Caregiving, Respite Care /by Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, PresidentWhen people think about caregiving, they often associate it with stress and exhaustion. However, there’s another side to caregiving that’s less talked about—caregiving can actually benefit your health and well-being in surprising ways.
The Exercises That Help Overcome Speech Difficulties in Parkinson’s
/in Chronic Disease, Communication, Parkinson's Disease /by Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, PresidentFor most people, talking with a friend or loved one is an effortless task. But for those with Parkinson’s disease, communication can be a challenge. Speech difficulties in Parkinson’s include a softened voice, jumbled words, and the frustration of not being understood. These challenges can quickly take a toll.
When Your Child Has Questions About Dementia, Here’s How to Respond
/in Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's DIsease, Communication, Dementia /by Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, PresidentWhen a family member starts showing signs of dementia, children often become curious and worried. They might ask, “Why does Pop-Pop keep forgetting where he lives?” or “Is Granny upset with me because she can’t remember my birthday?” As a parent or caregiver, you may not have all the answers at your fingertips, but creating […]
Pushing Yourself Beyond Your Limits as a Caregiver? Learn to Say No.
/in Caregiver Stress, Caregiving, Family Caregivers, Family Caregiving, Respite Care /by Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, PresidentDo you often find yourself buried under a mountain of requests—another errand, one more favor, yet another responsibility—until your own well-being takes a backseat? Caregiving, especially for a loved one, can make it feel natural to always say yes. However, constantly pushing yourself beyond your limits as a caregiver can lead to exhaustion and emotional […]
Resolving Conflicts With an Aging Parent Starts With These Simple Steps
/in Aging Care Issues, Aging in Place, Caregiving Tips, Family Caregivers /by Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, PresidentDo you wake up every day wondering what kind of conflicts you are likely to fall into with your aging parent today? If every day seems fraught with conversations that leave you feeling frustrated, maybe it’s time for you to try something new! Help both of you break out of the rut you’re caught in […]
Living Well With a Chronic Health Condition Is Within Your Reach!
/in Aging in Place, Caregiving Tips, Chronic Disease /by Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, PresidentChronic illness has a way of reshaping life, for both the person experiencing it and also you, the family caregiver. You can see how it alters the rhythm of their days, forcing them to modify plans and discover new ways to manage the unexpected. While the illness may create obstacles, it doesn’t have to define […]
Discover New Ways to Communicate With Someone With Alzheimer’s
/in Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's and Dementia Care, Caregiving Tips, Dementia, Elder Care, Healthy Eating for Seniors, Misconceptions, Senior Medical Concerns /by Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, PresidentYou ask an easy question: “What would you like for lunch today?” But instead of a response, you are met with hesitation, bewilderment, and a long pause. You have probably experienced occasions such as this while being a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s, where words seem just out of reach and conversations feel more like […]
Why You Might Struggle to Make Decisions as a Dementia Caregiver
/in Caregiver Issues, Caregiver Stress, Caregiving, Caregiving Stress, Caregiving Tips, Family Caregivers, Family Caregiving, Respite Care /by Debbie Savage, RN, BSN, PresidentHave you ever reached a point where deciding something as simple as what to eat feels like climbing a mountain? You’re not alone. Making decisions as a dementia caregiver can become overwhelming, leading to a unique kind of mental exhaustion called decision fatigue. When caring for someone with dementia, the decisions don’t just pile up—they […]