Certain types of dementia (e.g., Alzheimer’s, Lewy body, Parkinson’s and frontotemporal dementia) may affect language ability. People who have these conditions may forget the names of people and things. They could use words that mean something entirely unrelated. Sometimes, they speak in “word salad,” using a combination of words and sounds that seem to make no sense. Over time, many might stop speaking entirely.

People often think of caregiving as mostly hands-on care. It involves tasks like bathing, feeding, transferring and toileting. However, caregiving is more than caretaking. Caregiving tends to the whole person and all their needs.

RAISE (which stands for Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage) focuses on providing relief to those who care for a relative or close loved one. Family caregivers don’t have to provide just personal care to qualify. The RAISE Act can help any family caregiver who provides housekeeping, financial and medical assistance.

When you or someone you love experiences a memory lapse, you may worry it is the start of dementia. Yet, most of us who have memory challenges as we age are not experiencing dementia.

Staying hydrated is important for your body, especially your brain.

Here are four reasons to fuel your brain with water throughout the day:

For many parts of the country, bitter cold temperatures and icy roads keep us hunkered down at home this time of year. We may find ourselves sitting in front of the fireplace wrapped in warm, fuzzy blankets sipping mugs of steamy hot cocoa. If you’ve indulged in simple pleasures such as these, you’ve experienced “hygge.”

When night closes in, keep your guard up. However, don’t waste time looking for monsters who lurk under the bed. Or, wait for restless ghosts to prowl the halls. Rather, be aware of the potential hazards that might cause nighttime falls.

Although heart failure sounds like it could be another name for cardiac arrest, where the heart suddenly stops beating, heart failure is not cardiac arrest.

Heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes get a lot of attention, but you don’t hear enough about kidneys and how essential they are to good health. You have two kidneys – small, multi-purpose organs located in your lower back.

The whirl of the holiday season is behind us, and while you’re left with happy memories, you may looking back and paying more attention to the irregularities you noticed in your older relatives’ home or behavior. Maybe you are starting to wonder if they need some help with everyday activities.