My mother was a nurse, and my father a pharmacist. I’ve worked in a long-term care setting for almost 14 years. I’m not a medical person, but I’ve been on the fringes of medical things most of my life, and I’ve learned to talk what I call medical-ese. The medical world has terms for everything, […]

What is the difference between Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia?Can I catch either one?Does it run in families?I keep losing my keys. Should I be worried?I’m getting older, I guess I should expect this.Can I have “a little bit of dementia?” This month, we’re going to look at Dementia 101. Simply put, Alzheimer’s is a form

Here she goes, with some moral lesson about salt. Perhaps Jesus’ words about salt? Or an analogy of Christians being salt in the world?No, I just want to talk about the white stuff in a shaker on your table.Less salt or no salt is important for all of us, but for heart patients, it’s a

I’m not the man I was. Not that long ago (or so it seems to me) I looked after my wife and family. I made decisions. I had a job and made money. I bought things. I went places. I had fun. I had purpose and meaning. Now, life seems muddled. I can’t find things,

In February, I read an article that stunned me. I meet lots of family members who are caring for their parents. It is the natural rhythmn of life, and although not easy, it is expected. What if the caregiver is 18? I read about a young man who looks after his 48-year old mother who

My role as wife started on a hot day in August, over 30 years before. I knew how to be a wife, and had fulfilled that role for a long time.  My role as caregiver crept up on me. I had been a caregiver for a while before I even realised that I had the

My parents were leaving for a road trip out west, and Dad asked me if I would take Mom shopping in preparation for their journey. She needed some camisoles and other items he wasn’t comfortable shopping for. Mom had mid-stage Alzheimer’s and couldn’t go on her own. In the dressing room, as I helped her

Cinnamon 2002-2013 This is a tribute to my best buddy. My miracle dog. My Cinnamon. I wanted a dog for years, but for various reasons, it wasn’t possible. The daycare, money and lack of enthusiasm for the idea from other family members. Then there came a day when I announced I wanted a dog, and

We’ve talked about change in the caregiver situation this month. The fast change (such as a stroke, or a fall with a broken hip) that blindsides you and changes everything overnight. The slow change (such as the progression of Alzheimer disease) that is insidious and catches you unawares as it sneaks up on you and

I just returned from my first camping trip in 40 years.And I loved it. Although this was a camping experience like I’d never had in my life, it was what I always thought camping should be. Pitching your tent in a square of land in a provincial park beside other squares of land with other