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Dementia

Critical Dementia Skill #17 Getting Some Sleep

Written by M. Estrade on 11th August 2020 Blog

This is the 17th installment in the Critical Dementia Skills (CDS) series. For more information on the series, start HERE. You can also click on the CDS tags in the blog for more. If you are living with dementia, how are you sleeping? If you are a care partner, how about you? Many of us experience sleep disturbances due to the dementia condition, as well as stress and anxiety of care partnering.  Many care partners tell me about not sleeping well for fear that their spouse or parent is going to pace inside the home all night,

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Critical Dementia Skill #8 Shifting Roles We’ve Always Known

Written by M. Estrade on 26th May 2020 Blog

This is the eighth installment in the Critical Dementia Skills (CDS) series. For more information on the series, start HERE. You can also click on the CDS tags in the blog for more. Dementia is a condition that isolates many care partners in ways that go unnoticed by those not in that position. An example of this the loss of making decisions together with the person living with dementia, causing a shift in roles. Think about all of the decisions that a married couple makes,

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Critical Dementia Skill #3 Building your Dementia Team

Written by M. Estrade on 20th April 2020 Blog

This is the third installment in the Critical Dementia Skills (CDS) series. For more information on the series, start HERE. You can also click on the CDS tags in the blog for more. Dementia is a large and complex challenge, so you need a large and comprehensive team to support you and your family. This article is an introduction to the core team members we recommend that you recruit for your large team. Later articles will offer in-depth information on each role.

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What is Ambiguous Loss ?

Written by M. Estrade on 16th October 2018 Blog

It’s called “ambiguous loss,” that complicated grief that impacts many dementia care partners because their loved one is “physically present, but psychologically absent.” Professor Emeritus Pauline Boss has been studying ambiguous loss since it was the topic of her doctoral dissertation over forty years ago. I discovered ambiguous loss while listening to a podcast three years ago and it made me think about my support group members who said they were grieving the loss of the loved one,

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Finding Meaning in Care Partnering

Written by M. Estrade on 7th October 2018 Blog

I believe that one of the most powerful tools in the dementia care partner’s toolbox is finding meaning in the challenging situation. I also feel that one of the most difficult topics to bring up is the same…finding meaning. After all, who am I to suggest that there is a purpose in this ordeal, or losing a spouse to the syndrome, or as some put it “becoming a parent to my parent”? Sometimes I will throw the topic it out to my support group and pray to not get dirty looks,

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