Debra Stang Expert Guru

Debra considers herself fortunate to have been born into a family of readers. She has loved books since she was a small child. Debra grew up in a small Midwestern town. She received her bachelor's degree in psychology and master's degree in social work (MSW) from the University of Kansas. She is a fulltime hospice social worker as well as a freelance writer. When not working or writing, Debra enjoys playing with her pets, listening to Broadway musicals, going to the theater, sleeping, and of course, reading. She maintains two websites: www.debrastang.net which focuses on her writing career and www.weightlossthoughts.com which focuses on her lifelong battle of the bulge.

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Be Aware of "Sundowning"

For unknown reasons, people with Alzheimer's tend to become more confused and combative during the late afternoon and early evening. Therefore, try to get all activities such as doctor's appointments out of the way early in the day.

The Winning Game

If your loved one is a sports fan, record two or three games played by his or her favorite sports team. The next time your loved one becomes upset or resistive, tell them, "We don't have time to argue about it now. The Raiders are about to play." Then play the tape. Your loved one won't remember having seen the game before, so you can use this calming technique repeatedly. You can do the same thing with a favorite movie or television show--"Oh, look, Lawrence Welk is just about to start!"

Convenience

By all means, use credit cards for convenience. Just don't use them to supplement your income. Most Americans with credit card debt spend up to 40% more than their monthly income by charging items to credit cards.

Thinking "Outside the Box"

If your cat stops using the litter box for his or her business, don't automatically assume it's a behavioral problem. Medical problems, including diabetes and painful urinary tract infections can also cause cats to urinate outside the litter box, so have your cat checked by a vet right away.

Grief and Christmas

Never try to "skip" a holiday after a loss. It's impossible not to notice all the celebrations going on around you, and you'll end up feeling even more lonely and sad. Instead, find a way to acknowledge the holiday that is meaningful to you, whether that's having a large family dinner with a traditional gift exchange or volunteering in a soup kitchen for the day.

Baby Steps

When you're depressed, you don't feel like doing anything, so coax yourself along with baby steps. Rather than planning to wash all the dishes, for instance, wash one. Then, when you finish that one, see if you feel like washing another. Once you get started, you'll likely be able to keep going.

Don't Force Your Child to Touch

As kids, many of us were firmly instructed to, "Go give Uncle Billy a big hug." And chances are, Uncle Billy was harmless. But it's important that for your child to know he or she doesn't have to touch anyone he or she doesn't want to. So instead of making your child give hugs and kisses, try a different tactic like, "Tell Uncle Billy hello."

Bring Loose Fitting Clothes

Eating is a big activity on almost any cruise. You don't want to be miserably crammed into a little black dress that's a size too small, so give yourself a break and pack clothes that give you room to grow. Save your tight clothes for home when you can work off the extra weight at the gym.

Water

It's easy to get dehydrated in Las Vegas. Those lovely resorts on the Strip are not as close together as they look, you're in the middle of a desert, and if you're like most tourists you've probably had a few alcoholic drinks as well. Therefore, it's important to carry a bottle of water with you as you walk from one place to the next.

Ban sweets from your house

We've all been on the "seafood" diet--we see it, we eat it. It's easier to avoid temptation if that box of cookies is safely in the grocery store across town instead of ten steps away in the cookie jar. If you're trying to lose weight, leave the sweets in the store and purchase diet friendly snacks like fresh vegetables or low fat popcorn.