Former caregiver, Marion Riley witnesses a funny interaction between two residents in her story, “Screaming Lady” in Finding the JOY in Alzheimer’s: When Tears are Dried with Laughter
I finally had to place my husband, Don, in a secured skilled nursing home specializing in Alzheimer’s care.
I visited him almost every day.
One day we were in the activity room and one of the residents was screaming.
A few of the other residents told her to be quiet; in fact, their exact words were, “Shut up!”
She continued to scream, “Where’s my husband?”
Tired of hearing her, one of the other residents said, “He’s probably out with a lady who doesn’t scream!”
The room roared with laughter.
This outburst quieted her for about five minutes.
Marion Riley cared for her husband, Don, until his passing. She initially struggled with his placement at a nursing home and returned him home to care for him. After remembering that she could not care for him alone, she placed him once more. She resides in Southern California near her daughter.
The Caregiver’s Voice Executive Director, Brenda Avadian, took the photo of Marion and Don Riley above and insisted on positioning Don’s cap sideways for FUN.
