OPICA Blog

Holly Edwards is 25 years-old and helps to look after her father, William, who is 89 and has dementia. After a long and difficult journey to diagnosis, Holly shares her experience as a young carer coming to terms with her father’s condition. Holly’s story ‘When I was little people used to think my dad was […]

For those of you who have never encountered a Pete the Repeat Parrot toy, simply saying a word or phrase to it, the parrot will, as its name indicates, repeat what you say. Bob DeMarco, the caregiver for his mother Dotty, shared in the Alzheimer’s Reading Room an uplifting story of how Dotty’s mood and

It’s difficult to imagine losing some or all of your memories. Your beloved ones are now strangers. You were maybe a bad person in your past, but now it’s the opposite. The words “real” and “unreal” have lost their meaning. When thinking about all these and how they apply to people we know and love

Is a dementia-specific advance directive necessary?  A growing number of Americans over age 60, have a standard advance directive, designating a decision-maker to direct their medical care if they became incapacitated.  Not all experts are convinced another directive is needed.  An article in the New York Times, “One Day Your Mind May Fade. At Least You’ll

By Kerry Luksic from Parents Magazine “Mommy, what’s wrong with Grandma?” asked my then 6-year old daughter, Carly. Her beloved grandma would repeat the same question multiple times or would often act confused. About three years earlier, my mother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that causes problems with thinking, memory,

Bill Gates built an empire by being a technological problem solver, but now the Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist is working to solve the problem of Alzheimer’s disease.   Alzheimer’s hits close to home for Gates, who revealed for the first time that his father, 92-year-old Bill Gates Sr., suffers with the disease.  “More and more people

A new movement aims to break the silence over a little understood disease  I remember my grandmother’s descent into dementia. Senile dementia, we called it then. The grandma I had known — never less than immaculately coiffed and dressed, a shrewd and knowledgeable collector of antiques, and a baker of puddings so sublime I can

The isolated village of Hogewey lies on the outskirts of Amsterdam in the small town of Wheesp. Dubbed “Dementia Village” by CNN Hogewey is a cutting-edge elderly-care facility—roughly the size of 10 football fields—where residents are given the chance to live seemingly normal lives. With only 152 inhabitants, it’s run like a more benevolent version

“Caregivers are everyday heroes, and they shouldn’t have to undertake this journey alone.” Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. Through research with male caregivers, marketing professionals have unearthed the insight that being a caregiver requires a unique kind of strength—like stoicism and inner fortitude—that goes beyond the traditional expectations of male toughness. 

Demands increase during the holidays, while resources — personal and financial — may be in shorter supply. Here are the insiders’ tips to help you navigate the season, keep your balance, manage expectations-and really enjoy the celebrations, however modest, with your loved one. Survival tips: 1. Reduce expectations. Instead of trying to maintain all of