In last week’s post, I highlighted a recent article that discussed the advice that caregivers of a family member who has Alzheimer’s disease would share with others who are newly embarking on this labor of love. Much of the advice centered around the emotional and financial challenges that caregiving can present and the need to prioritize self-care.

Coincidentally, a family friend sent me an email last week updating me on her own family’s experiences with caring for her widowed mother-in-law (“Grandma,” as they call her), who suffers from dementia, and I asked her if I might share some of her insights with our blog readers.