Lyn's new column, The Caregiver's Caregiver, first appeared last July in 4You, Tampa Tribune's magazine for health, fitness, nutrition and appearance. Kim Franke-Folstad, editor of 4You, recognized the need for caregivers to take as good care of themselves as they do the loved ones in their care. The subject is one Lyn has been involved in since the 1980s when she began helping care for both her father and her grandmother. Her father suffered with Alzheimer's disease for 13 years. Her grandmother did not have dementia, but she grew increasingly frail and unable to care for herself. She lived to be 95. Lyn's many magazine articles on caring for caregivers and her book filled with practical caregiving tips earned her the nickname "the caregiver's caregiver." Therefore, naming the new column was easy. ...more

December 7, 2007

Amy Gorman, author of "Aging Artfully: 12 Profiles of Visual and Performing Women Artists 85-105," will speak at the SouthShore Regional Library, 15816 Beth Shields Way, at 10:30 a.m. Thursday. ...more

November 29, 2007

Amy Gorman, author of "Aging Artfully: 12 Profiles of Visual and Performing Women Artists 85-105," will speak at the SouthShore Regional Library, 15816 Beth Shields Way, at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 6. She will show clips of filmmaker Greg Young's movie, "Still Kicking," based on her book. ...more

November 26, 2007

I may need to change my long-term goal, which is to make it to retirement, at which time I'd planned to sleep late and loll around until 11, drinking coffee and reading the paper. ...more

November 8, 2007

Doris Hutton was almost able to make it to age 84 without exhausting her modest life savings. ...more

October 27, 2007

Dear Lyn: I'm a caregiver and I'm writing a journal. It's helping me in ways I can't explain, but I wanted to suggest journaling to fellow caregivers and ask you to address the advantages of keeping a journal. — Maggie ...more

October 26, 2007

A surprising study of elderly people suggests that those who see themselves as self-disciplined, organized achievers have a lower risk for developing Alzheimer's disease than people who are less conscientious. ...more

October 2, 2007

One of our greatest joys is volunteering as facilitators of a weekly caregiver support group. Every Thursday at 1 p.m., we meet with a number of Highlands County residents who care for loved ones with dementia. Since October 2000, Crown Pointe Assisted Living Facility has donated its activity room, coffee and cookies. At present, the majority of caregivers in our group are spousal caregivers - they take care of their husbands or wives. Most of them don't work outside the home and a daytime meeting works best for them. However, there's also a growing need in the county for an evening group. Many adult children with daytime jobs care for elderly parents. Some spousal caregivers may prefer to attend an evening meeting. ...more

September 21, 2007

Dear Lyn: I take care of my older brother full-time. He's 80 and was diagnosed with progressive dementia a few years ago. Lately he can't seem to sit still, and he's constantly pacing or fidgeting. He doesn't wander outside, but I did get him a Safe Return bracelet. My problem is that his pacing is really getting to me. I took him to the doctor to see if something was physically wrong with him that would make him nervous or upset. The doctor examined him and said he was fine, but he didn't give me any advice about dealing with this. Any suggestions? –- Uptight Little Sister ...more

September 13, 2007