Dr. Ethelle G. Lord Individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias require specialized care both while at home and after entering long-term care. Professional caregivers and family caregivers who tirelessly provide this specialized care on a daily basis, even during the night hours, must constantly remind themselves of their mission and greater purpose in doing […]
LEARNING TO COPE: Living and Dying with Alzheimer’s
Dr. Ethelle G. Lord Since a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s means there is a great deal of uncertainty about life and death on a daily basis, developing coping mechanisms early to help the individual living with Alzheimer’s is very important. Such pre-planning supports the family caregiver who already fears the day this precious life will end. […]
Person-centered healthcare and Alzheimer’s: What does it mean?
Dr. Ethelle G. Lord Long-term care facilities always promote their person-centered healthcare services. Do you know what it is and does your loved one actually receive person-centered care? How do the providers know if they are delivering person-centered care? How do system managers know where they can improve the quality of care? In the case […]
Characteristics of the Alzheimer’s Trinity in Healthcare: Hard work, Teamwork, and Dealing with Adversity
Dr. Ethelle G. Lord I am witnessing more and more the Alzheimer’s trinity in healthcare is like a battlefield. Management is pushing hard work with a skeleton crew with inadequate teamwork preparation and formation. This leaves the matter of dealing with adversity out on a limb most of the time and too often resulting in […]
Alzheimer’s Friendly Healthcare Workforce: Tips on Treating an Alzheimer’s Patient
Dr. Ethelle G. Lord Long-term inpatient care is a reality with many baby-boomers living with Alzheimer’s. We know a cure is really not just around the corner for Alzheimer’s, it seems reasonable to find better ways for our health care workforce, including doctors in the emergency rooms and hospital staff, to strive to integrate various […]
Alzheimer’s and Long-Term Care Placement: 5 Tips to a Successful Integration
Dr. Ethelle Lord The time may come when long-term care placement becomes a necessity for the person with Alzheimer’s. It was true in our situation. My husband was home about 10 years after his bypass surgery (1999) and subsequent diagnosis of Alzheimer’s (2003). Then when he was unable to walk on his own and I […]