September 21 is World Alzheimer’s Day. a day set apart by organizations around the world to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. I have been caregiver for two Alzheimer’s patients—my father and my husband—and I have seen two other family members—my grandfather when I was a preteen and an aunt when I was an … Read more
The article “‘What If I Forget About God?’ – A Surprising Look at Dementia and Religion” brought back a special memory to me. The article points out that a common fear among both dementia sufferers and their loved ones is that the person losing their memories of everything in their life will also forget about … Read more
If you’ve read my blog for a while, you know raising awareness of Alzheimer’s is a cause close to my heart. I saw my grandfather being hauled off to the state hospital (the only mental institution available) when I was twelve years. At the time, the doctors said he had “hardening of the arteries.” Three … Read more
Today is World Alzheimer’s Day, a day to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s and dementia. When my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in the late 1980s, no one in my family had ever heard of the disease. Later, as we saw the progression of my father’s disease, we realized that was what my grandfather had when … Read more
Today is World Alzheimer’s Day, a day to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s Disease. This is very close to my heart because of my personal experiences: My grandfather had what I’m sure now was Alzheimer’s, but nearly six decades ago, it was called “hardening of the arteries.” At age twelve, I watched him being forced into … Read more
Today is designated as World Alzheimer’s Day, a day to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. There are many tragic diseases that destroy the body; what makes dementia so tragic is that it destroys the memory and the personality. I cared for my husband for several years until his death two years … Read more
April is National Autism Awareness Month. There are so many diseases and disorders that it’s impossible to highlight them all. Usually I choose to focus on diseases and issues that have directly affected people close to me, and often I like to bring attention to conditions that aren’t well-known, or if well-known, not well understood. No … Read more
November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Caregiver Month. If you fortunate enough not to have been touched by this disease, you may not be aware of how challenging it can be. And you may not be aware that you are likely to be impacted by Alzheimer’s some time in your life. One-third … Read more
September 21 is World Alzheimer’s Day to raise awareness of “the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the only cause of death among the top 10 in the United States that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.” (Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation) Finding a cure or at least a treatment … Read more
November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month. There are many terrible diseases, but Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is different in that patients lose their memories and their personality. As the disease progresses, they may become very paranoid and believe that their caregivers are going to harm them. Rather than appreciating the … Read more