If any of you have heard me give my lecture on “Understanding Alzheimer’s” you’ve heard me refer to it as the “snowflake” of illnesses because no two individuals with Alzheimer’s are the same. If you know someone with Alzheimer’s then you know one person with Alzheimer’s and you need to understand that you can’t “paint them all with the same […]

  Over the years, one thing that I have truly enjoyed is being a Justice of the Peace. It’s a wonderful experience to be a part of such a joyous day in the lives of two people as they start on their journey of life together. Unfortunately, my job as a dementia care specialist often deals more with these couples […]

  If you find that your loved was is becoming more and more confused about time a place your experiencing another one of the signs of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a well know fact that people with Alzheimer’s will lose track of dates, the time of year or even the simple passing of time. If you find that they have forgotten […]

I was recently recognized for my good works on behalf of seniors by The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA). In a letter I recently received from ALFA President and CEO Richard Grimes it stated that I was being recognized for my “Dedication and Leadership in the Senior living field.” I also received a “Certificate of Excellence” and was inducted […]

Safety first? Well not in this case. A few years ago, HBO produced a series called The Alzheimer’s Project that I recommend every caregiver watch. You can access it through The Alzheimer’s Association web sight at www.alz.org. One of the stories they profiled was of a woman with Alzheimer’s that was about to lose her drivers license. She was not […]

Nobody likes to be ignored. Lillian was a woman with Alzheimer’s disease that one day decided that she had to go to the bank. Although her affairs were being well taken care of by the local financial institution and she had everything she needed, or so it seemed, she still insisted that she had to go to the bank. To […]

I received a phone call the other day from a very distressed son. He was caring for his father in his home and he was at his wits end. Dad had a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and his son called me out of frustration.

As there are plenty of ”do’s” in Alzheimer’s Care, there are also a few “don’ts.” Although you may not realize it, your loved one can still sense emotion and that’s why you never want to talk about them and their issues, in front of them, like they aren’t there.

My experience as a lecturer has taught me that there is no quicker way to lose your audience than by quoting statistics. In spite of that, here are some hard hitting facts about Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer’s Association reports that Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in America. There are over 5 million Americans living with this disease […]