Andrea Seewald

Caring.com Expert

About: Andrea Seewald is a licensed social worker and president of Senior Care Consultants and the Care Registry in Pittsburgh.

Monday September 03, 2007
1. What if my dad's doctor doesn't think it's Alzheimer's?
  Answer - It's not unusual for me to encounter a situation in which a parent has gone to a particular doctor for years, even decades, who is now hesitant to accept that there's a dementia process going on. Social skills often are the last things to go, so if the parent seems normal during a visit, the doctor won't notice anything wrong...
2. Any suggestions for talking to my father, who has Alzheimer's, about his finances?
  Answer - Parents often fear that enlisting a family member to help with finances means starting down a slippery slope to losing autonomy. Reassure your dad that it doesn't have to be that way. Tell him, "I want you to remain independent for as long as possible. My goal is to help you stay where you are and be in control but to have some support...