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Paula Spencer Scott, Senior Health Writer

Paula Spencer Scott is the author of Surviving Alzheimer's: Practical Tips and Soul-Saving Wisdom for Caregivers and much of the Alzheimer's and caregiving content on Caring.com.

Scott has specialized in women's life-stage concerns (baby care, family care, self-care, elder care) from her first job as an editor at 50 Plus Magazine through stints as a Woman's Day columnist and coauthor of health books with doctors at Harvard, UCLA, Duke, and Arizona State. She's a 2011 Met Life Foundation Journalists in Aging fellow, awarded by the Gerontological Society of America and New American Media, and completed a National Press Foundation's Alzheimer's Disease 2012 fellowship.

In the late 2000s, she lost both her parents, in their 80s, to cancer; her father also had dementia and stroke. "In short order during that phase," she says, "I experienced just about everything that's on this site, from dealing with their illnesses to selling the family home and moving Dad, plus advance directives, end-of-life planning, hospice, death -- and stress."

Follow her on Twitter @PSpencerScott.

Recently Published on Caring.com

Alzheimer's Myths — May 01, 2014
Alzheimer's Myth 1: "Mom can't have Alzheimer's -- she remembers all kinds of things." Alzheimer's disease affects newly learned information or recent memories first. M...
Senior Move Managers — Mar 20, 2014
What Senior Move Managers Do Senior move managers help plan and manage a move of any distance, such as from a longtime home to a communal living situation. They hire a...
Slowing Alzheimer's Progress — Feb 19, 2014
Quick summary The memory loss and other cognitive changes characteristic of Alzheimer's disease and most other forms of dementia can't be reversed. But there are some p...
How to Solve Eating Problems Common to People With Alzheimer's and Other Dementias — Jan 02, 2014
1. Doesn't eat, won't eat _ Possible causes _ The person may forget mealtimes altogether because of memory loss. The person may not eat much during meals because of...
How to Handle Difficult Behaviors — Jan 02, 2014
Caregivers of older adults will inevitably see their loved one exhibiting some difficult behaviors from time to time. These behaviors may stem from dementia or simply from ...
How to Have "The Talk" With Your Aging Loved Ones — Nov 21, 2013
Wondering how to start the conversation with an aging parent about a sensitive topic? Whether you need to talk about moving, giving up driving, or bringing in help, knowing...
Caregiver Identity: Which Family Caregiver Are You? — Nov 13, 2013
Who is a caregiver today? A caregiver isn't a face in the crowd; a caregiver is the crowd. Him, her, you, me, spouses, adult children, old friends, siblings -- people of a...
Alzheimer's Symptoms and Difficult Behaviors — Oct 31, 2013
Mild-stage Alzheimer's symptoms During mild-stage Alzheimer's, your loved one will likely be able to manage his or her basic self-care -- what experts refer to as activ...
5 Biggest Issues That Sabotage Family Caregivers — Jul 29, 2013
Caring for an aging parent or other loved one in your home usually begins with the best of intentions. Over time, however, a good thing can disintegrate into a tough, tense...
How to Avoid Caregiver Guilt — Jul 02, 2013
Guilt is a normal part of caregiving -- you wouldn't be human if you didn't experience it, no matter how well or poorly you're doing the tasks involved. But one type of car...