“We Plan, Mom's Dementia Laughs” --English translation of the Yiddish proverb, adapted just for us My day-to-day caregiving plan generally consists of only a few priorities. Stay positive. Actively listen to Mom. And stay positive. I focus on these basics and fill in the blanks based on what a …
14 Minutes, 37 Seconds and a Microcosm of My Life as an Alzheimer’s Caregiver
Mom and I spoke a couple of times last Wednesday as we normally do. The morning was a brief hello while the evening was a bit longer. 14 minutes and 37 seconds to be exact and the conversation was a perfect microcosm of the gut-wrenching emotional and sensory roller-coaster that is my Alzheimer’s …
Mom, Her Dementia, And Her Grandchildren
The relationship between Mom, her dementia and her grandchildren is beautiful, sad, and frustrating all at once. It's like New England weather--complicated. And also like New England weather, it is ever changing, whether I want it to or not. Shortly after seven o’clock on a recent Tuesday night, …
My Confession: Dementia, Caregiving, and Resentment
Resentment is my strongest caregiving emotion (lately). I’ve hated dementia from the day we met but over time have acquired a resentment for caregiving. Like you acquire a taste for coffee, I’ve acquired disdain for caregiving. I’m ashamed to say it but am sick of hiding from it. Hiding it and …
Social Isolation + Alzheimer’s. Now I’ve Seen the Impact.
There it was on the bottom of the second page in the stapled stack of photo copies I'd just been given, in big bold font: Social Isolation. The bold type-face was followed by a generic definition, a description of the dangers and references to helpful resources for new caregivers to tap into. …
Age in Place at Home or Move to Senior Living? What’s Right For You is All That Matters
Should Mom age in place at home or move to an assisted living community? The question was my caregiving version of the chicken or the egg. A fundamental and philosophical question forced on us by Alzheimer’s a few years ago. We didn't have a say in the matter but this much was clear: Mom needed …
I Moved Mom to Memory Care. Now I Regret It.
Under the cover of the quarantine, I moved Mom to memory care. And I loathe myself for it. In spite of my boundless regret, I know I did it for the right reasons. It’s the best option for Mom. Courtesy of Alzheimer’s Disease, the (wonderful) support provided in standard assisted living was no …
Steve, Lewy, And The Little Moments
I love my father-in-law like he’s my own Dad. Steve and I have gotten along since the day we met and I’ve always looked up to him. Having lost my own dad at a young age, I've always considered myself lucky to have him in my life . Things have been different the last few years with Lewy Body …
Dementia and Our Vicious Circle of Guilt
How do you break the vicious circle of dementia’s guilt? We didn’t invite dementia into our lives but it’s here to stay. The wretched disease is an unwanted house guest that refuses to leave. As if its presence wasn’t enough dementia has given our family, and close to 6 million others in the …
