Supporting all who care for elders
I had a plan. If I’d had a choice, I would have continued to work. I loved my job, derived great purpose from what I did and wasn’t emotionally ready to give it up. But severe arthritis and chronic pain showed me it was time. I didn’t want my team having to carry the load […]
How Finding Purpose After Retirement Gives Life Flavour and Sparkle Read More »
My parents both had many siblings, so when we got together for a family picnic, the aunts, uncles and cousins were everywhere. We’d gathered at a local park, and plates of salads and desserts filled the wooden picnic tables. One of the uncles stood barbecuing hot dogs nearby. Happy chaos ensued. Until it
How to Find and Celebrate the Person Behind a Dementia Diagnosis Read More »
I recently saw the pilot of a TV show that made me want to stand up and cheer. A mostly non-verbal elderly man with dementia sits in his darkened room. An aid with a cart asks him if he wants some water. Without pausing for more than a beat, she says,
How To Change How the World Sees People With Dementia Read More »
When my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in her mid-fifties, the disease and all that went with it was a huge cloud of doubt to me. It was 1975, and not as much was known about the disease. There weren’t the supports for family, and we didn’t have the internet to do research.
How to Lower Your Risk of an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis. Read More »
Sometimes, when reading a novel, I come across a character who develops Alzheimer’s. Or their mother does. Or they’re a witness to a murder but are discredited because of their diagnosis. Maybe it’s my sensitivity to the subject, but it blows me away how often Alzheimer’s and other dementias show up as a
My Mother Was Diagnosed With Alzheimer’s. What Do I Do Now? Read More »
Sometimes reciprocal care takes a little work. Operation Christmas Child is a wonderful program of Samaritan’s Purse. Special boxes are packed for children of various ages with items like clothes, school supplies, small toys, books etc. They are then distributed by the organization to children who would otherwise not receive a
Practical Ideas for Elders to Give Care Read More »
My most poignant story of reciprocal care happened the day I came back to work after the death of my husband. It’s a story I’ve told before, but thinking back on it still brings tears to my eyes. I knew that first day would be gruelling, Part of me wanted to find a place to
Your Elder Has a Gift to Share with Everyone Read More »
In 1957, the Paul Smith Quartet sang those words, and they’ve been picked up and sung by so many artists since then. And although for elders, it may not be easy in any season, summer does offer more possibilities. This month we’re going to look at what benefits the great outdoors offers, a few cautions,
Making the Livin’ Easy for Elders this Summer Read More »
“I feel like I’m looking for an angel with a halo and wings. Or maybe a whole chorus of angels, because one definitely won’t do.” A week earlier… Abby felt overwhelmed as she looked at the many notes she had spread across the dining room table. Mom would be returning home from
Advice About What to Look For in a Caregiver Read More »
As a fiction writer, one of the skills I’ve developed is to get inside my characters’ heads and hearts. I need to feel what they are feeling and then spill that onto the page in ways that draw my reader in. That’s what makes today’s blog so difficult to write.
How to Deal with a Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or Dementia Read More »