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 Welcome to this web page on Alzheimer’s disease. Whatever drew you to this site, we share a common interest. My family shared my mother’s difficult journey with Alzheimer’s for more than a decade. My sister and I have shared what we learned in our book Please Take Me Home Before Dark.
On this site I will touch base with this book periodically. Additionally, readers of this page and I will further explore a wide range of topics about Alzheimer’s disease, now afflicting more than 5.1 million persons, their friends, families and caregivers. This site, as well as our book, is dedicated to helping these persons feel: I am not alone, I am more informed, I am understood, and I have hope.
To get started, you may want to gauge your awareness of some of the facts about Alzheimer’s disease by taking a brief inventory and reviewing some answers and commentary.  
Billie J. Pate is a gifted writer with published works in education and music. She has master’s degrees in social work and in education. Her professional experience includes writing, editing, training, and executive management in national organizations. She resides in Franklin, Tennessee. You may purchase her book, Please Take Me Home Before Dark, at www.insightbooks.com
 | The Sundowner Syndrome
Saturday, October 11, 2008 | One of the most frequently asked questions about Alzheimer’s disease is some form of “Why does my loved one beg to go home?” . . . Read More
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 | Amazing Resources Available
Friday, September 26, 2008 | Caregivers who are dealing with the strident demands of Alzheimer’s disease have little time to plow through volumes of material for help. That’s why I am distilling lots of information to bring you relevant, to-the-point ideas. But in case you need . . . Read More
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| | A Flower By Any Other Name
Saturday, September 13, 2008 | The use of language is a brand for being human and for building civilizations. We are amazed when someone includes in his resume a reference to “fluency in three languages.” Even two is impressive enough. But our propensity is gargantuan for taking the gift of language for granted. Language connects, includes, interprets, and defines us. It is the stuff of all social structures. We speak it, hear it, read it, symbolize it, and sign it; but it is made up of word symbols we’ve learned over a lifetime. Therefore,
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 | A Care Plan Sounds Too Formal?
Friday, August 29, 2008 | The awareness that a family member with Alzheimer’s needs some assistance usually develops gradually. As long as mild memory loss is the main challenge, we can practice some of the common sense memory aids that have been passed along among caregivers. Examples include: post-it notes, lists on the refrigerator, postings inside the closet about what to wear, etc. These are helpful provided the receiver is aware of the problems he faces and is receptive to gentle reminders. But this type of “rescue” will not last forever, and it is important to . . .
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| | Can The Alzheimer's Patient Live Alone?
Monday, August 18, 2008 | Who among us lights up when we think about losing our independence? This word describes a powerful dynamic in the development of human qualities from birth to adulthood. Once established, we adamantly resist giving up any part of our personal independence, even when . . .
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| | How Long Will The Suffering Last?
Friday, August 08, 2008 | The question, “How long does Alzheimer’s disease last?” is an honest query, but it belies intense suffering in the caregiver as well as concern for the loved one who is suffering. The answer to such a question is . . .
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| | An Undeniable Wake-up Call
Monday, July 28, 2008 | Some things cannot be denied. Eventually the variant behaviors of a loved one cry out for help. At last our love for them breaks through denial and the generational barrier protecting us from fear of our own mortality. It happened when my father died . . . Read More
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| | What is My Loved One Feeling?
Thursday, July 17, 2008 | A certain answer to this question is that we can’t possibly know. Of course the feelings within the Alzheimer’s patient run the gamut across the wide terrain of denial, fear, anxiety, anger, frustration, confusion and depression to an emotionally barren state of nothingness. What a loved one is feeling depends on . . . Read More
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| | Is Denial Normal?
Thursday, July 17, 2008 | The denial we experienced with our mother’s Alzheimer’s disease came to mind when I read an interesting account in the “My Turn” feature in September 10, 2007Newsweek. It was written by Anya Ulinich whose great-grandmother lived in Moscow and whom she had not seen for more than a year. She was aghast at what she found. . . Read More
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| | How Can I Know If It's Alzheimer's
Tuesday, July 08, 2008 | When Alois Alzheimer was working with demented patients in Frankfort, Germany around 1900, he had an interesting patient called Mrs. Auguste D. Her behavior was bizarre and her memory loss was significant. When he coaxed her to write her name, she could not do it though she tried. She looked into Alzheimer’s face and said, . . . Read More
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 | What Do I Know About Alzheimer's Disease?
Thursday, July 03, 2008 | This inventory is neither comprehensive nor does it measure the deep emotion inherent in Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers. It simply provides a broad context for understanding the widespread impact of the disease. The status of Alzheimer's in our society is changing. Therefore, these facts will change in the months ahead. . .
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| | 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease
Thursday, July 03, 2008 | The Alzheimer’s Association has developed a checklist of common symptoms to help you recognize the difference between normal age-related memory changes and possible warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease. . . Read More
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