Tag Archives: alzheimers

National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month: Health-eBrain Study

31 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by in Advocacy and Awareness, Caregiver Burnout, Caregivers, November-National ALZ Awareness Month, Research, Sandwich Generation, USAgainstAlzheimer's

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Here’s a great way to participate in National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month!

If you are one of the 15 million caregivers looking after a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, your input is crucial to the success of the Caregivers’ Health-eBrain Study! Please join Meryl Comer, advocate, journalist, author, and caregiver, as a participant in this important online study.

Just 30 minutes of your time will help scientists understand how the caregiving lifestyle impacts brain performance. And you can complete the questions right from your home computer! 

You may be reading this and thinking, “I’m not caring for my parent/spouse/loved one 24×7 at home. I just oversee her care and help out with things. I’m not really a caregiver.”

I get that line of thinking. There was a time when I thought being a caregiver meant caring for a loved one at home, period. However, the definition is much broader than that.

You’re a caregiver if:

  • You’re a son or daughter supporting a parent with memory problems. They might live three doors down or in another state, but regardless, you are a caregiver.
  • You missed your daughter’s school play because you were called into action to handle a crisis with your loved one. You are a caregiver.
  • You’ve had to take time off work to drive a parent to doctor’s appointments or run home to handle a crisis. You are a caregiver.
  • On Sunday afternoon, you can be found at Mom’s house setting up her meds for the coming week. You are a caregiver.
  • You’re sandwiched right between the children you’re still raising and the parent who needs your support on a regular basis. You are a caregiver.
  • You spend your lunch hour on the phone making medical appointments and dealing with insurance companies. You are a caregiver.
  • You couldn’t get away for your usual summer vacation this year. Who would look after Mom while you were away, and what if there was an emergency? You are a caregiver.
  • You coordinate in home assistance or oversee the care provided to your loved one in a care facility. You are a caregiver.
  • You can often be found at your loved one’s house helping with household tasks like cooking, cleaning, yard maintenance, caring for pets, or shopping. You are a caregiver.

If any of these sound familiar, we hope you’ll take just 30 minutes to participate in the Caregivers’ Health-eBrain Study and share the link with others.

To begin click here –> https://www.health-ebrainstudy.org

 

 

 

WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s Launches Shadow Box Memory Project!

28 Tuesday Oct 2014

Posted by in Advocacy and Awareness, Face of Alzheimer's, Inspiration, Life After Caregiving, Mom, November-National ALZ Awareness Month, USAgainstAlzheimer's, Washington

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Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s Out of the Shadows Summit held in Washington, DC. While there were many memorable moments over those two days, one of the highlights was our evening at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.  That night, the WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s (WA2) Network launched its Shadow Box Memory Project.

Photo Credit: WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s

Prior to the Summit, attendees were invited to create shadow boxes containing pictures and memorabilia honoring loved ones affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Each shadow box was as unique and beautiful as the person that inspired it. Seeing the display was a powerful, moving reminder of why we are determined to keep fighting until we stop Alzheimer’s in its tracks.

Now WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s wants to know what you think about expanding this project, creating a national campaign to raise awareness about the disease – much like the AIDS Quilt did for AIDS. Did you know the quilt boasts an impressive 48,000 panels and a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize??!

As we prepare to mark the beginning of National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, please take 2-3 minutes to respond to this brief survey. Your feedback is very valuable to WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s, and your time and opinions are truly appreciated.

Click here to take the survey:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GLLXNHK

Thank you so much and feel free to share this with others who have been touched by Alzheimer’s. Together we can and will make a difference!

Love and Alzheimer’s

25 Saturday Oct 2014

Posted by in Caregivers, Early Onset, Face of Alzheimer's, Guests, Inspiration, Smiles

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I’m so happy to share this Q&A and guest post from Bruce Williams, a fellow Buckeye, Alzheimer’s advocate, and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living with Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias contributor.

How did you and Ann meet and fall in love?

Bruce:  Ann and I are originally from Ohio. Born 8 days apart, we led eerily similar lives. Previously married for 12 years, divorced for four, we found each other in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Married a mere six weeks after our first date, I can honestly say that we were soulmates from the beginning. Our life together has been one of abiding love, with a healthy dose of passion thrown in.

We had two sayings, “We’ll  never let anyone steal our joy” and, “We never want to look back on our lives and wish we had done ____________”. After the last of her boys were off to college, we moved up to a flying community near Daytona beach where she got her pilot’s license. Always the adventurer, she and a friend entered the Women’s Air Race Classic and came in second.

At what point did you know something was wrong? How was Ann diagnosed?

Bruce: Around five years ago, Ann said she couldn’t taste her food as well. We attributed it to a cold she had a few weeks previously. Her taste, along with her sense of smell, has never been the same since. As far as I can tell, her cognitive problems started about four years ago, if not before.

After several neurological tests, she was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment.  A personal friend of ours gave her the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease after an MRI in his neurological practice, and the elimination of every other condition.

Why did you start writing? 

Bruce: My emotions ran between denial, fear, hopelessness and rage against a cruel God who, after giving the greatest gift I’ve ever had, was stealing her away.  One brain cell at a time.

Seeking some peace, and wanting to tell her story, I started to write. Putting my thoughts down has helped me understand the disease and open my heart to what unconditional love is all about when faced with the unknown.

 

Bruce was kind enough to share this touching piece about the reality of Alzheimer’s. Feelings of sadness and loss, of course. But a change in perspective allows him to appreciate Ann’s beauty – and their love – in a new light. 

The Diamond

by Bruce Williams

I often get a sadness not unlike mourning. It is not the anguish one feels upon the sudden death of a loved one but a drawn out process that develops a life of its own every time a new event or “milestone” intrudes on our lives.  Morphing into a dark presence that threatens to steal the joy I’ve always had with Ann, I finally break free for a time and realize its way too premature to mourn.

I do feel, however, that small parts of her are lost forever. She’s not the same girl I married 27 years ago but, in view of what she’s going through, I love her more now than I did at any point in our marriage.

As her personality changes ever so subtly, I can liken the experience to a jeweler examining a diamond. Accustomed to viewing it only from the top, One might notice a few flaws. Small pieces of carbon dimming the reflection, and to some critical eyes, reducing its value.  I realize that, while I can’t alter her position, I can change my own perspective.

By peering at this precious gem of a lady from a different angle, I discover a new treasure, never before seen.  Suddenly, those tiny specks are lost in the sheer brilliance of a magnificent cut, polished by the Master Craftsman Himself, for me, our family and all those who love this wonderful woman to enjoy.