March 14, 2021
A woman with Alzheimer’s asked her daughter, “Am I crazy?” and the daughter not knowing how to reply posted on Facebook, “What should I say to her?” It was interesting the myriad of replies. It made me think about what you should say to someone when they are aware something is wrong with their mind but they don’t know they have dementia. Some of the comments were:
March 9, 2021
Most of the information about dementia tells family and caregivers not to take it personally when your loved one says something mean or hurtful. But is it really dementia talking? It is hard to tell when they are still verbal, especially in earlier stages. It seems like them talking, just a very nasty version of them. They may holler, scold or tell you how awful you are.
February 27, 2021
I was reading a Facebook post about how a woman with dementia keeps accusing her husband of being with other women. Her daughter is very upset about this. She wrote how her 88-year-old father was never unfaithful and how hurt he is by these accusations. However, do we really know what went on in our parents’ earlier life. He could have been unfaithful at some time, and
February 11, 2021
One of the most challenging parts of life can be to learn to love oneself. Why is it easier to feel love for another person than it is for myself? This last month I’ve been faced with some difficult challenges, and I’ve been forced to do a lot of soul searching. Having to attend to some health issues that seem to be like a revolving door swung
February 9, 2021
When dealing with health issues, I find myself having to face my internal demons who have skillfully hidden in the recesses of my subconscious. They lurk in the shadows of my consciousness until my fears over my physical condition feed them, making them strong enough to surface. As we age, most people experience some health decline. But at 72, I’m amazed and frightened at how steep that
February 6, 2021
When we age, we commonly find our memory is not what it used to be. There are many methods of “exercise” for your brain, however this exercising may not be possible anymore by mid-dementia when they commonly lose the ability to understand or follow instruction steps. One of the saddest moments for a family member is when their loved one forgets who they are. More than any
January 13, 2021
We all have moments in our lives where we feel like we are falling down Alice’s rabbit hole. However, people with dementia experience Alice’s journey as a daily occurrence. Strange people, unfamiliar shifting environments, danger, fear, feeling lost, no control over your world, and maybe smiling cats, talking caterpillars, and surreal tea parties. The caregiver also experiences this descent down the rabbit hole by caring for the
