Alzheimer's
-
Here we go Loopty-Lou
When your mom has Dementia with no short-term memory, and you are taking her somewhere, you plan ahead to minimize the repetitiveness. One day, my preparation for her doctor's visit included printing out four pictures of various family members for mom to look at while we waited. There is no need for more because she forgets what she's seen by the time she's on the following picture. She studied each picture, one at a time, and made the same comments every time. "Oh, look at this baby! Isn't she cute? Who's is she?" to which I'd reply, "Yes, she is adorable! That's Audrey; she's Ashley's little girl." and mom would…
-
Set Hammy Free!
Consider my hamster, Hammy, creative name right? Hammy wants out of his cage more than anything. He looks at me begging with his big, brown, fur-trimmed eyes to puhleeeease let him out. He even makes little whining noises to sound pitiful, hoping to play on my sympathies so he can be released into the wilds of my living room. Hammy thinks if he can get out of his prison, be set free and allowed to roam wherever he wants, he'd be the happiest hamster ever. He doesn't understand why I won't let him out no matter how much he begs. He is oblivious to the danger that would most certainly beset him in…
-
7 Stages of Alzheimer’s
What do you do when your mom hand washes your paper plates and tosses your good silverware in the trash? Seem hard to believe? Not if you are a caregiver for a loved one with some form of Dementia. Maybe you are at the beginning of this journey. Perhaps the doctor has just said those horrific words: Dementia, Alzheimer's, or Parkinson's Disease and you are still in shock. You may be wondering what treatments are available and what to expect. These diseases affect not only the person afflicted, but also those who are to become caregivers and their families. What exactly is Dementia and how widespread is it? The…
