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I hate saying “Good-bye.”I guess few love it, but I hate it with a passion.Which is unfortunate, because my work involves a lot of good-byes. I meet residents in the last season of their lives. The season may last surprisingly long, but inevitably, there is a time to say good-bye. And it hurts. “Maintain a […]

I’ve never been a music person. I can’t sing, for one thing. And although there are a few songs that move me to tears or make my heart soar, I seldom listen to music. I never think of it. I’ve seen what music can do, however, and it awes me. Music reaches into hearts and

Enid doesn’t talk much. Dementia has stolen many of her words. They come slowly and with effort.But Enid communicates.Because of a swallowing issue, she eats only soft or minced foods. Her fluids are thickened. Sometimes, her choices are few, and she doesn’t have much enthusiasm for eating. But today, she ate a strawberry crepe. It

                           My mother, Florence Everson, who                                  died with Alzheimer’s at 66 It’s always there, in the background. Just there.Then something will happen. I will search for a

When a person is diagnosed with a debilitating, progressive disease, it can become huge in their life. For their caregiver, there is so much to learn, it is all-consuming. A new language, how the medical system and the systems of care work, medications, interventions–it goes on and on. If we aren’t careful, the disease can

A young couple was sitting in the kitchen, working on their budget as their two young boys played near them. They were discussing their emergency fund, when the three-year-old piped up, “I want that! I want some of that emergency fun!” Now, there’s a concept. I’ve never been good at fun. My mother taught me

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,