Maria M. Meyer, Mary S. Mittelman, Cynthia Epstein, and…

Contributing writers

About

Maria M. Meyer has been a longtime advocate of social causes, beginning with her work as cofounder of the Society for Abused Children of the Children's Home Society of Florida and founding executive director of the Children's Foundation of Greater Miami. When her father-in-law suffered a stroke in 1993, Meyer became aware of the need for better information about how to care for an aging parent, a responsibility shared by millions of Americans. That experience led her to found CareTrust Publications and to coauthor the award-winning guide The Comfort of Home: An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide for Caregivers , now in its third edition. This book earned the Benjamin Franklin Award in the health category. Meyer is a keynote speaker and workshop leader on caregiver topics to healthcare professionals and community groups, as well as a Caregiver Community Action Network volunteer for the National Family Caregiver Association.

Mary S. Mittelman is an epidemiologist who has been evaluating psychosocial interventions for family members of people with Alzheimer's disease for the past two decades. She is director of the Psychosocial Research and Support Program at the Silberstein Institute, a research professor in the department of psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, and leader of the Education and Psychosocial Cores of the NYU Alzheimer's Disease Center. She is principal investigator of the NYU-Spouse Caregiver Intervention study, funded by the NIH since 1987, as well as other studies of psychosocial interventions for people with cognitive impairment and/or dementia, and their family members. In the past few years, Mittelman has made a commitment to disseminate research findings to both healthcare providers and the community at large and to collaborate with researchers and community organizations to implement and test psychosocial interventions.

Cynthia Epstein , a social worker and clinical investigator, is a graduate of the Hunter/Mt. Sinai Geriatric Education Center and the Brookdale post-master's program on aging. For more than ten years, she has counseled family caregivers and people with Alzheimer's disease who seek cognitive evaluations and participate in psychosocial interventions at the NYU Aging and Dementia Research Center. In addition to providing clinical supervision to social work students, many of whom are now Alzheimer's care providers themselves, Epstein offers workshops for professional and family caregivers under the auspices of the New York City Alzheimer's Association. In her private psychotherapy practice, she works with people coping with Alzheimer's-related issues as well as a range of other emotional concerns.

Recently Published on Caring.com

  1. Thursday July 16, 2009

    1. Dental Care for Someone With Alzheimer's Disease

      Article - Dental hygiene may easily be overlooked, but it's an important part of keeping Alzheimer's patients comfortable and healthy. As we age, adults in general tend to have dental problems that can cause pain or make it difficult to chew, swallow, and speak...

    2. Mental and Emotional Health Care for Someone With Alzheimer's Disease

      Article - People with dementia often have emotional symptoms such as depression and anxiety. These symptoms may be a direct result of the neurological changes caused by the illness. They can also be the person’s reaction to the awareness of change in his ability to function as he once could...

    3. Is Alzheimer's Home Care for You?

      Article - Learn whether home care is necessary for someone diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and if so, where to find it.

  2. Tuesday July 07, 2009

    1. Middle-Stage Routine Health Care for Someone With Alzheimer's

      Article - Find out how to best provide routine home health care for someone with mid-stage Alzheimer's, and what to commonly expect.

  3. Monday May 11, 2009

    1. Home Safety for the Person with Alzheimer's Disease

      Article - When caring for someone with Alzheimer's at home you are providing a chance for that person to remain in a familiar, comfortable environment where he can use his strengths and be encouraged to be as independent as possible for as long as possible. A safe, comfortable home can help a person with Alzheimer's feel more relaxed and less overwhelmed...

  4. Tuesday May 05, 2009

    1. Setting Up a Plan for Day-to-Day Activities for Someone With Alzheimer's

      Article - One of the results of Alzheimer's disease is that the person is unable to plan how to spend her time. She is also unlikely to initiate activities and reach out to friends or family. She often spends much of the day napping and pacing, which results in what others would judge to be an "empty day...

  5. Monday May 04, 2009

    1. Foot Care

      Article - Practical steps to help caregivers learn how to provide proper foot care.

  6. Thursday April 23, 2009

    1. How to Manage Anger or Aggression in Someone With Alzheimer's Disease

      Article - At some point in the course of the disease, people with Alzheimer's may become physically aggressive, although this does not occur as often as popular wisdom says. They may sometimes throw things, hit, kick, bite, or pinch the caregiver or others they come into contact with.

  7. Tuesday March 03, 2009

    1. Recording and Managing Medications for Someone With Alzheimer's Disease

      Article - Always be sure that the person in your care takes the medication exactly as prescribed. Keep an accurate list of these medications and when they should be taken.

  8. Wednesday February 25, 2009

    1. At the Doctor's Office When Someone Has Alzheimer's Disease

      Article - Because the person in your care has Alzheimer's disease you may have to:

  9. Tuesday February 10, 2009

    1. How to Get Someone With Alzheimer's Disease to Take Medication

      Tip - Put the pills in a box that has sections for time of day and day of the week. Put the pills next to the person's plate at mealtime. Tell her she can have a treat after taking the medicine. Ask the pharmacist if it is okay to crush the pills and put them in food...

  10. Thursday February 05, 2009

    1. Meaningful Activities for Someone With Alzheimer's

      Article - The work we do and the activities we choose for fun tell the world a lot about us. Try to imagine your life without them. People with Alzheimer's disease lose the ability to do the things that make them who they are little by little over time.

    2. Early-Stage Routine Health Care for Someone With Alzheimer's Disease

      Article - In the early stage of dementia, you will -- 1 Comment

    3. Late-Stage Routine Health Care for Someone With Alzheimer's Disease

      Article - In the late stage of Alzheimer’s disease, you will have to speak for the person with dementia and tell medical providers what type of care the person had said he wanted when he could still communicate his wishes.

  11. Wednesday January 07, 2009

    1. Dressing Advice When Caring for Someone With Alzheimer's

      Article - Practical tips for dressing and undressing a loved one with Alzheimer's disease.

  12. Thursday December 04, 2008

    1. The ABC Way to Understand Alzheimer's Behavior

      Article - A person with Alzheimer's disease may sometimes act in ways that are upsetting or seem aggressive. He or she may hit, scratch, or fight with the caregiver. This does not always happen. But if it does, it is likely to be when the person is in the middle stage of Alzheimer's disease. This stage can last for up to four years... 2 Comments

    2. Managing Hallucinations and Delusions, Suspiciousness, and Paranoia in Someone With Alzheimer's Disease

      Article - People with Alzheimer's disease may see, hear, smell, taste, or feel things that are not really there. The most common hallucinations are those that involve sight or hearing. Some people with Alzheimer's disease develop strange ideas about what is actually happening and may come to believe that other people want to harm them... 2 Comments

    3. Falls and Alzheimer's Disease

      Article - There are many reasons why older adults are at risk of falling, including the effects of medications, slowed reaction times, brittle bones, stiffness, and lack of flexibility and impaired vision. Due to changes in the brain that are caused by Alzheimer's disease, people with Alzheimer's disease are at especially high risk of falling...

    4. Vision Care for Someone With Alzheimer's Disease

      Article - A person with AD should have regular eye examinations. Poor vision can contribute to confusion. These exams can also spot or detect other serious diseases such as diabetes. Finding and treating eye disease early can prevent serious diseases from getting worse and leading to blindness.

    5. Visiting the Doctor When Someone Has Alzheimer's Disease

      Article - Here are some suggestions to make getting to the doctor easier:

    6. How Much Care to Give Someone With Alzheimer's

      Article - Generally people in the early stage can manage most aspects of personal care on their own and you may only need to keep a friendly eye out for slipups. For example, a person in the early stage, and even later, may enjoy going to the beauty parlor or barber shop as he or she always has...

    7. Bathing Someone With Alzheimer's

      Article - Bathing is often called the most challenging activity for both the person with dementia and the caregiver. What a shame that the idea of relaxing in a warm tub filled with bubbles rarely matches the typical caregiver–care receiver experience...

    8. Bathroom Safety for Someone With Alzheimer's

      Article - Take great care when setting up the bathroom. With some forethought potential dangers can be avoided.

    9. Bedroom Safety for Someone With Alzheimer's

      Article - Guard rails on the bed may sometimes be helpful supports when getting in and out of bed, but may also add to the risk of falls if the person attempts to climb over them. Consult with a physical therapist about the best way to use them, if at all, for the person in your care. A bed cane may turn out to be a safer alternative...

    10. Eating for Someone With Alzheimer's

      Article - The ability of a person with Alzheimer's disease to make good food choices, to use utensils correctly, to chew and swallow his food, and to sit at the table changes over the course of the illness. As with other activities of daily living, people with Alzheimer's disease need more and more help as time passes...

    11. Hiring Paid In-Home Help When Caring for Someone With Alzheimer's

      Article - It may seem to you as though taking care of a person with Alzheimer's disease requires a never-ending series of decisions. One of the most sensitive decisions is whether you should hire someone to provide all or some of the care. This becomes complicated by the fact that the person with Alzheimer's may...

  13. Tuesday December 02, 2008

    1. Feeling Anger When Giving Care

      Article - It is easy to feel victimized in this situation; you are caught up in someone else's illness. The natural response is anger. Unfortunately, that is not a helpful response. Unleashing anger on the person in your care never helps. 4 Comments

  14. Thursday October 23, 2008

    1. How to Watch Out for Someone's Best Interests in the Hospital

      Article - Strategies and resources for caregivers to get their loved one with Alzheimer's the best care while in the hospital.

  15. Tuesday October 21, 2008

    1. Dehydration: A Common Health Problem for Alzheimer's Sufferers

      Article - A major cause of emergency room visits for frail or demented older adults is dehydration. Dehydration occurs when a person is either not getting enough liquids daily or excreting too much urine. The body's ability to detect thirst diminishes with age. Illness and medication can also cause dehydration...

    2. Staying Actively Involved in the Health Care of Someone With Alzheimer's Disease

      Article - Alzheimer's disease may not make people feel physically ill, but AD does get in the way of them keeping themselves healthy. That is why they must rely on their caregivers to help them to eat a balanced diet, take their medications correctly, visit the doctor, and take care of all the details that are involved in staying in good physical and emotional health...

  16. Friday October 17, 2008

    1. Activities of Daily Living for Someone With Alzheimer's

      Article - Helping with personal care is a major lifestyle change both for you and the person in your care. This is mainly true if you are caring for your parent, especially caring for a parent of the opposite sex. Even though it can be difficult to provide personal care to a parent, with time, most people adjust...

  17. Sunday October 12, 2008

    1. Dehydration Prevention

      Article - As a person ages, he feels less thirsty, so a special effort should be made to provide enough fluids. A person's fluid balance can be affected by medication, emotional stress, exercise, nourishment, general health, and the weather. Dehydration, especially in the elderly, can increase confusion and muscle weakness and cause nausea...

  18. Friday October 10, 2008

    1. Criteria for Admission to a Hospice Care Program

      Article - To qualify for hospice care, this condition must be met: