Author: Elaine M. Eshbaugh, PhD

When I was in my 20’s, I spent a lot of time volunteering for hospice. One of my first hospice patients was a woman in her 60’s who had dementia. Her son lived with her, but he needed a weekly respite. I was told she was active and liked to go for walks. In fact, […]

Hi friends! I want you to know that I appreciate you. Whether you found me recently on social media or starting following me when I started writing this blog in January of 2015 (oh, wow, back when I was in my 30s!), I am flattered that you tune in every Monday morning to see what […]

Our dog, Karl, died a few years ago. His mind was willing, but his back legs and hips had enough. He lived to the ripe old age of 14…which is a ridiculously long time for an English mastiff to live. We adopted him when he was 6. I don’t know what his life looked like […]

Once an older guy told me, “My wife has Alzheimer’s and doesn’t know who I am, but I still love her.” It struck me that he used the word but to connect those two statements–as if it were surprising that he still loved his wife. I didn’t find it surprising, of course. We don’t stop […]

So what’s your personal 2020 theme? (Can you answer this question without using a four-letter word that would’ve gotten you in trouble at recess?) You’ve got your personal and family challenges, which likely include dementia since you are reading my blog. You’ve got whatever chaos is happening in your community. Maybe people are arguing about […]

I was speaking to someone last week when we hit on a subject close to my heart…nursing homes in the midst of COVID-19. Nursing homes have been hit hard, and it’s not close to over. Limitations on visitors, group meals, and activities will continue for some time in many places. Over the last decade, a […]

I’ve been thinking a lot about caregivers lately. Caregivers who live at home with their loved ones and are overwhelmed due to social distancing guidelines. Caregivers that cannot visit their loved ones who reside in a nursing home or assisted living due to COVID-19. Being a caregiver isn’t easy in the best of times. It’s […]

For those of you who checked up on me these last few weeks, thank you. It’s crazy (and kinda flattering) that you missed me. I’ve been supporting someone who is going through the toughest time of her life–and a tougher time than anyone should ever have to go through, really. And that is more important […]

There will be no blog post today due to the Easter holiday. No matter what your journey looks like right now, I’m rooting for you and sending you all the positive energy I’ve got as you face life’s challenges (COVID-19 related or not). You are stronger than you think. Hang in there.

There’s been a lot of discussion about residents living in nursing homes and how they are impacted by COVID-19. Today I want to go in a different direction… Let’s talk about in-home care partners with loved ones who have dementia. Maybe your mom has dementia and was living alone…but you invited her to stay with […]