“You don’t look like you have Alzheimer’s.” This is what Mary Howard Read hears often when speaking on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association. Whether she’s speaking or setting up and then (wo)manning a table at a conference, people treat her like any other profess[...]
Caregivers need to be reminded: Take a respite break. After all, we humans are a bit stubborn. “I can do this.” “If I just get through this, I’ll be able to manage.” We doggedly march on before the ground gives way and soon, we’re sinking in quicksand. Have you ev[...]
The Caregiver’s Voice Newsletter – Are You Gettin’ It? Sometimes, all the information we receive is just too much. When you’re getting blasted by a firehose, it’s a good idea to step aside to avoid drowning and look for a garden hose. The Caregiver’s Voice Newslet[...]
Learning to Dance in the Rain – A Story of Unexpected Caregiving Guest article by Connie Goldman I met Julie and Tom shortly after Julie was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease at age 57. Theirs is a story of a lifetime of devotion to one another. Julie and Tom knew each oth[...]
I attended weekly support group while caring for my father who was diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. We felt we could go on forever when caregiving was uneventful. The reality was that caring for a loved one with dementia is unpredictable and the road zig-zags quite a bit. Durin[...]
PhD candidate, Jessica Bibbo's research looks at care recipients and their interaction with pets... it may be beneficial if it encourages social and cognitive engagement.[...]
Newly retired health care executive, 69-year old Geri Taylor knew something was wrong, but she kept her composure, according to a recent feature in the New York Times. Starting as a nurse who then rose through the ranks, she knew something was woefully wrong when she didn’t recognize her reflection [...]
It seems a little strange to hear “Dementia Friendly Community” after working on this month’s VOICES with Dementia column featuring Helga Rohra. She asks (paraphrased), “What if we said, ‘Cancer Friendly Communities’?” Munich-based Ms. Rohra delivered the Ke[...]
Helga Rohra Voice with Dementia Inspires by Example You wouldn’t know it by her schedule, but Munich-based Helga Rohra is on the go “giving awareness talks about 100 times a year,” she writes via a Facebook message. She adds that speaking before audiences (often as many as 200 peop[...]
“My father, Bob, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2002, at the age of 73. He passed away in 2009. In an ironic twist of fate, in late 2012 my mother Lois, 78, was herself diagnosed with this fatal disease,” writes caregiver Kenn Voegele on the Crowdrise site [TCV Update 9/2/2020[...]
At a tender age, this little boy may be the youngest* caregiver to help care for an elder family member. A boy, barely beyond being spoon-fed himself, feeds his grandmother. Although, her disease is unspecified, she appears to have a neurological disorder causing Parkinson’s-like tremors in he[...]
Are you cheap, frugal, or environmentally conscious? Years ago, a dear friend served as a caregiver for my father who lived with dementia. While I was away on travel, my husband took my father to her home on his way to work two hours away. Our friend and my father would enjoy a few early morning hou[...]
