Here’s an entertaining exercise for anyone who regularly visits an individual with cognitive impairment. Particularly for those frustrated by the monotony of responding to the same questions every 15-30 seconds. The tedium of the continuously looping conversation begins with the…
Spend enough time with someone with a broken brain and you might actually learn something. Think of it as addition by subtraction. For example, I’ve learned to appreciate that for individuals living with dementia and severe memory loss the mantra…
A short story by Stuart Greenbaum [Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. While the perceptions and insights are informed by professional and personal experiences, no connection to real individuals or circumstances should be inferred.] No one can know…
MAKE BELIEVE NEWS: SACRAMENTO, CA, USA — Public interest in farthest outer space is growing exponentially across the globe. The astounding 98 percent increase is being attributed to the billions and billions of individuals who have read the new bestselling…
Who knows why seemingly insignificant (at least in the moment) sensory experiences become associative triggers for the rest of our life? Why does a specific smell, sound, vision, taste or emotion immediately take us back to another place and time?…
“Does she know what she’s having?” Mom asks. “Yes. A girl,” I say. “Ooh, that’s wonderful! All the other great-grandkids are boys,” she says with a big smile. “That’s right. Everyone is very excited,” I say. A few minutes pass….
If you know or have known an individual with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, it’s fair to say you have known one too many. Sooner than later, the ravenous disease eventually claims all their memories. All the while, we must be…
Guest essay by Kirsten Jacobs, associate director of dementia and wellness education at LeadingAge This past month I attended my 20-year high school reunion (go Generals!). I have come and gone a few times, but I now live in my…
Guest essay by Tiffany Paige, a therapeutic activity specialist with The Hummingbird Project What does it mean to age and truly walk with someone you love who is experiencing an illness like Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia? On…
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Charles DeCarli, MD, UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center No medical diagnosis is as feared as Alzheimer’s disease. Literally. Not even cancer. Work at the University of California at Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center offers us hope though. As the…
