As a rule, family caregivers are generous. They tend to be empathetic and to want to help. But it is possible to be too generous, with a tendency to sacrifice one’s own needs for the benefit of others. Sound familiar? This is called “pathologic altruism.”
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A trip. Sounds like fun! And, it’s more challenging when you travel with a companion who has dementia. But with forethought and planning, you can avoid or readily address common problems.
Things to do a few weeks ahead
Suppose you bring your frail loved one or a relative with dementia to the ER because of trouble breathing. The doctors determine it is pneumonia caused by bits of food being swallowed into the lungs.
Rather than stay in the hospital, they suggest your relative use the Hospital at Home (HAH) program.
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About 20% of seniors living in communal settings experience bullying in one form or another. Cliques and power hierarchies seem to be a human tendency. If your loved one is the focus of bullying, you might notice withdrawal from others or depressed mood.
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Hollywood would have us believe that profound deathbed conversations occur just before the last breath is drawn. Not so! The last few weeks of a person’s life are often marked by extreme fatigue, long hours of sleep, and sometimes distracting levels of pain.
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