June 28, 2020
It takes a village to raise a child and it takes a village to care for its elderly or its people with dementia. Yesterday I posted on Facebook how we have had incidents with people who have dementia alone in Costa Rica and in need of assistance. Pleas for help were sent out by their families on different FB sites. It’s when I realized we need some
June 27, 2020
Living in a foreign country has its challenges but if you compound this having dementia it can be a nightmare for you and your family who is most likely still in your home country. After 40 years of living in Costa Rica, the numbers of those with dementia are rising steadily not only among the locals but also amongst the foreign retirees, most over 65. Amid the
June 25, 2020
Personal photos are effective tools for families to communicate and reconnect with loved ones with or without dementia. They trigger memories, exercise the brain, and can emotionally bring you closer. This photo reminiscing can close the gap between the years. My son just sent me this picture of myself; I’d never seen it before and it catapulted me back forty years. It opened a window to my
June 24, 2020
Written by Gary Joseph LeBlanc, CDCS Director of Dementia Education Dementia Spotlight Foundation We have a dear friend that was asked by Amazon if she would participate in a trial program to see how well their Alexa device can help a person living with dementia. Her opinion? She has nothing but positive things to say about how much the device has helped her manage her daily living.
June 19, 2020
“Once upon a time there was an old woman who lived with her family in a big house on a tree lined street. She spent lazy afternoons sitting on the porch swing listening to music and waving to the passing neighbors who all seemed to know her name. “My daughter always wears that pretty ruffled apron when she cooks and she keeps the house real clean. One
June 18, 2020
Years ago, I knew of a family who held a wake for their mother. The problem was Mom was still alive in a nursing home. When the person with dementia enters the later nonverbal stages, they begin to withdraw into themselves; no longer interacting with the world or people around them. At this time, it’s understandable why many families believe their loved one has gone. So, what
June 15, 2020
A friend and I were talking about her mother who had passed away after years battling Alzheimer’s. Maria has had a great deal of experience with dementia. She had worked as a nursing home manager for several years, had to put her ex-husband into a nursing home visiting him regularly, and eventually cared for her mom at home until her death. What we were discussing was how
