The Care Community
Current  Archive  
AlzheimerWhen The Body Breaks Down
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 
The breakdown of our mother’s body did not occur suddenly just as the disruption of her mental processes had not.  Interdisciplinary studies remind us that . . . Read More
AlzheimerWhen Mealtimes Become Challenging
Friday, May 14, 2010 
From the early onset of our mother’s illness until her death, she faced nutrition issues.  We see them more clearly now, in the illuminating light of hindsight...
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AlzheimerThe Memory Keeping Shelf
Tuesday, April 13, 2010 
In a beautiful book of poems called The Keeping Shelf, my friend, the late Muriel Blackwell explained where she got her title.  Her grandparents had...
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AlzheimerManaging Wandering Behavior
Saturday, February 13, 2010 
Most Alzheimer’s patients (60%) experience wandering behavior at some point in their lives.  The risks and reality of this fact present challenges and...
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AlzheimerKeeping Christmas Special
Saturday, November 28, 2009 

When I forget,

Please remember

How much I love the changing of the seasons

And holidays, especially the wonder

Of Christmas . . .

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AlzheimerCoping With Stubborn Resistance
Saturday, October 03, 2009 
The flow of information about the functioning of the brain is stunning and exciting.  The “emotional brain” is...
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AlzheimerA Sixth Sense
Saturday, August 29, 2009 
Early in our education, our teachers asked us to name “the five senses.”  Dutifully we responded with the words tasting, seeing, hearing touching, and smelling.  As if these aren’t enough...
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AlzheimerCaring For The Caregiver
Tuesday, August 04, 2009 
As my mother’s condition with Alzheimer’s became more certain and symptoms more distinct, we siblings became increasingly concerned for both her and our father.  They were...
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AlzheimerDealing With Apathy And Depression
Sunday, July 19, 2009 
The emotions of the person with Alzheimer’s span the entire spectrum of mental challenge.  Perhaps apathy and what comes through as depression top the list of crippling feelings.  Dad sleeps most of the time, or he sits and stares as if he doesn’t see.  He is disinterested in any activity, and sometimes he seems agitated – even angry.  These behaviors may be signs of  . . . Read More
AlzheimerA Parade Without Trumpets
Thursday, July 02, 2009 
The mention of Alzheimer’s disease produces a depth of reaction that is difficult for some to understand.  The disease is not a condition that necessarily deserves more caring or grief than other chronic illnesses. But Alzheimer’s does . . . Read More
AlzheimerThe Truth At Any Cost?
Friday, June 05, 2009 
I remember so well a thought from the poet Ralph Waldo Emerson to the effect that “foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”  Doubtless, I have applied this idea in ways that . . .
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AlzheimerSafe And Sound At Home?
Thursday, April 30, 2009 
When a family member or friend is traveling we wait for the call when the loved one says, “I’m home, safe and sound.”  We are relieved.  But in some cases, being home does not always assure safety.  In fact the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports . . .
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AlzheimerFrom Placidity to Aggression
Monday, April 06, 2009 
In 2005 a movie was released that touched the hearts of those who saw it.  But to the families of a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, The Notebook has become a classic.  In gripping narrative it recalls . . .
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AlzheimerFinishing Well
Thursday, March 05, 2009 
I had seen him and his wife periodically during the past five years.  Our visits were always rich and delightful.  Although he had been diagnosed for some time with Alzheimer’s, he retained the ability . . .
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AlzheimerCan My Loved One Still Drive?
Tuesday, February 17, 2009 
Sometimes some of life’s most important values clash in strange places.  This is the case when safety and independence become competing claims.  They meet head on at life’s intersections – literally and figuratively.  This question is . . . 
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AlzheimerColor The Goldfinch Purple
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 
One of the most arduous challenges of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s is the “changing rules of engagement.”  He/she has always enjoyed distinctive activity, has communicated in rather predictable patterns, and has contributed his/her part to the wellbeing of the family and community.  But the patterns begin to change and . . .
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AlzheimerCaregiving - A High Risk Job
Monday, November 17, 2008 
During the decade our family cared for our mother, we never discussed the impact of caregiving stress in real terms. We did take some steps to try to protect ourselves from major illnesses, but we probably never imagined . . .
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AlzheimerCoping with Frightening Feelings
Thursday, November 06, 2008 

I recently led a seminar on the subject of caregiving to chronically ill persons. Of course because of my experience, Alzheimer’s disease was foremost in my thoughts. I met Clara who openly shared what so many caregivers feel or have felt. . . 

 

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AlzheimerWhen Prompts and Post-its Aren't Enough
Friday, October 24, 2008 
We had waltzed around our parents’ need for help because they both resisted “intruders” in their home. A time usually comes when parents, one or both, must be helped to understand that some kind of help is needed for their survival. “When” is the . . .
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AlzheimerA 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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AlzheimerCan 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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AlzheimerWhat 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 . . .
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AlzheimerWho is the Caregiver?
Tuesday, July 08, 2008 
Her name was Easter. She had Alzheimer’s disease. She was my younger sister’s roommate in a health care facility; my sister suffered a variety of complications from diabetes and died two years ago. What impressed me about Easter was her family . . .
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