Toward the end of my father’s life, he had difficulty chewing food and eventually swallowing. I didn’t know it then. One morning, while feeding him breakfast at the nursing home, I stuffed more and more food in his mouth, thinking this might stimulate him to swallow. Upon seeing his stuffed cheeks, [...]
Alzheimer's disease--Four updates: sign petition and support a cross-country bike ride to raise awareness, consider participating in a clinical trial, and snort insulin for improved cognitive function.[...]
Expert wife and husband team, Roya Sayadi, PhD, CCC-SLP and Joel Herskowitz, MD, answer this question. Swallowing can be tricky. It’s not something we usually pay much attention to until there’s an obvious problem like choking or gagging. How can you tell if your loved one has a swallowing problem? [...]
If you had the option of being tested to see if you had the marker for Alzheimer's disease years before you showed any of the effects (e.g., forgetfulness, disorientation), would you want the test?[...]
I was touched by how Holly Whiteside dealt with her mother’s treasured possessions after she died of Alzheimer’s. She describes it in The Caregiver’s Compass. Since clutter is a problem to varying degrees for nearly all of us and since the media has also jumped on the bandwagon wit[...]
A beautifully created book. Easy to read, featuring a photo on every other page. Mother-daughter co-authors, Gayle Alexander and Anne Alexander Vincent, present Gayle’s work as the founder of Nashville, Tennessee-based Spiritual Journeys for Women and their joint efforts leading retreats on spiritua[...]
Holly Whiteside presents a touching perspective on dealing with her own possessions as she faces the disposition of her late mother’s treasured possessions in The Caregiver’s Compass. Since clutter is a problem at varying degrees for nearly all of us and since the media has also jumped o[...]
While we Americans celebrate our 227th anniversary of independence from British rule on this Fourth of July, I reflect on a family tradition that has been the constant across the highs and lows of forty-five years. Beginning during childhood and continued while caregiving, I invite you to join me on[...]
Although most of the estimated 5.3 million Americans with Alzheimer’s disease live in the community and are cared for by their families, about two-thirds of nursing home residents have Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementias. In addition, more than half of the residents in assisted living f[...]
How does he do it? Trying to answer the following question prompts geriatric physician, Dr. David Dosa, on a quest. How does Oscar, an ordinary cat in a nursing home, know who is going to die next? Attending physician at the Steere House, Dr. David Dosa learns more about Oscar’s talent and the comfo[...]
On Father’s Day in 1998, I visited my father in the nursing home to celebrate his special day. Except we couldn’t agree on whose special day it really was! “Oh, I’m glad you’re here!” he said with a bright smile. His eyes told the truth. He no longer remembered his daughter with whom he shared a bir[...]
If you’ve been reading our blogs for a while, you will know that one of the topics I like to write about is clutter–how to manage it or just plain get rid of it! UPDATED 2017 Read STUFFology 101 – Get Your Mind Out of the Clutter My struggle for forty years is paper clutter (books,[...]
