Lauren Dykovitz

All through my childhood and into my young adult life, my parents had a very traditional marriage. My dad worked full time outside of the home and my mom was...

After being my mom's part-time caregiver for a few years, I was near the point of having a nervous breakdown. I decided that for my own mental health, I could...

Have you ever found yourself wishing for your loved one's death? Maybe not specifically for their death, but for an end to their suffering? I am not ashamed to admit...

When was the last time you took a photo with your loved one who has Alzheimer's? Scroll through your phone and find the last one. How long ago was it?...

“I feel like I’m not myself right now. I don’t even know who I am anymore.” Have you ever said these words out loud or to yourself? I have. My...

Do you know someone who is caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's? Do you want to help and support that person, but you don't always know the best way...

At times during my mom's Alzheimer's journey, I felt ashamed for not knowing more about the disease. I didn't understand all of the science behind Alzheimer's and I was never...

It is so easy to lose yourself in caring for your loved one. Your identity as a caregiver consumes all other aspects of your identity. In striving to attend to...

If I had a nickel for every time I snapped at my mom during the early stages of Alzheimer's, I would be rich. How about you? It took me a...

When a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, everything changes. Their life as they once knew it is gone. They are forced to let go of the way they...

Before my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I never took the time to appreciate all of the beautiful little things life has to offer. I was always too caught up...

One of the hardest things to deal with during my mom’s Alzheimer’s battle was when she became nonverbal in the last few months of her life. It was heartbreaking to...

"How's your mom?" At the beginning of my mom's Alzheimer's journey, I hated being asked this question. I never knew how to respond. I figured most people didn't really want...

Guilt is one of the most prevalent emotions when your loved one has Alzheimer’s. No matter how much you do for your loved one, you can always find something to...

It is often said that when a loved one has Alzheimer’s disease you grieve them twice. You grieve the loss of the person you once knew and then you grieve...

When my mom was living with Alzheimer’s, my family found it hard to manage her care at home by ourselves, but my dad did not want to place her in...

Have you ever stopped to think about when was the last time your loved one did something? Like, when was the last time they dressed or did their own makeup?...

During the ten years my mom suffered from Alzheimer's, I was never her full-time caregiver and she never lived with me. My mom lived with my dad in my childhood...

When my mom was in the middle stages of Alzheimer’s, I would often take her to get her hair done and then we would go out to lunch afterward. One...

About five years into my mom's Alzheimer's journey, I was spending the night at my parents' house and decided to help my mom get ready for bed, so my dad...