Research findings, media stories and articles to inspire new ways of thinking about people living with dementia.
Our soul purpose
Blog posts created and curated during the post-ranch years. More stories coming soon about our six real life pleasures.
A shortcut to the most recent blog posts
Our modern medical approach to dying can prolong suffering and strip us of our dignity. The author believes too many of us die poorly.
Reclaiming dignity in dying
Respected academic researchers conclude that one’s brain health is always affected by the health of the society in which one lives.
Are you flourishing?
Do We Simply Not Care About Old People? The question is rarely asked amid debates over budgets, policies, and staffing shortages.
Big picture question
The Dementia Justice Report – It’s not about moving on … It’s about moving forward by shedding light on dementia care realities.
Advancing human rights of older people
Welcome
This e-magazine features research findings, media stories and articles about the main themes which enriched our days together following Mother’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. Learn more
Rite de passage
Miss Ethel
As a young school teacher, she was known as “Miss Ethel.” But as her daughter, it was not until being with her in her final years that I learned from a former student how she had preferred to be addressed. Learn more
A Beautiful Voice
Memory Journals
Without journaling, the memory – at this point – would surely be quite “flat” and foggy, and there would certainly have been no thought of an e-magazine. Learn more
Intimate Excerpts…
Riane Eisler, JD
Riane Eisler, JD, is a social scientist, attorney, and author. The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future is considered a classic. Her newest book, Nurturing Our Humanity: How Domination and Partnership Shape Our Brains, Lives, and Future, is coauthored with anthropologist, Douglas P. Fry, PhD. Learn more
A Caring Economics
You're invited to read our story.
Find our story here: Big Pharma and the Constant Gardener
New Day!
Let’s be in touch – Newsletter
A Warm Respite – You are invited for coffee and a moment of respite – with mindful and soulful news direct to your inbox. Let’s be in touch. Join us!
Subscribe hereInfluencers making the news
Who are our influencers and Changemakers? Those professionals whose body of work resonated with our experience at the ranch are included here. Each is listed successively in the order in which their work came into our awareness during the course of being together at the ranch.
Learn moreWelcome, partnerism!
“Partnerism,” a word coined by Riane Eisler, JD, is a model for creating a more equitable, sustainable, and less violent world based on partnership rather than domination.
A new vocabulary for caringSee me – hear me
The messages in our meme series, “See me – hear me,” speak to the monumental need for societal change in our approach to caring for people with dementia.
Transforming thoughts
Video Series
Tuning in to Well-Being
Video Series
Tuning in to Well-Being
Real Life Pleasures
BREAKING NEWS
Research findings, media stories, and articles to promote creativity, discovery, and partnership in dementia care.
Big picture question
Do We Simply Not Care About Old People?
I put this big-picture question, which rarely gets asked amid debates over budgets and policies, to health care professionals, researchers, and policymakers who are older themselves and have spent many years working in the aging field. Author: Judith Graham - February 9, 2024 The covid-19 pandemic would be a wake-up call for America, advocates for the elderly predicted: incontrovertible proof that the nation wasn’t doing enough to care for vulnerable [...]
Food for holistic health
Your body wants to be healthy! All it needs is the raw materials to re-build!
Food is medicine. Dear dementia caregivers, If you’re experiencing fatigue, weight gain, sleep issues, stress, or cravings for sweet or salty foods, pastries, or pasta, you'll gain knowledge in this Masterclass to help you turn it all around. Most people think that the cause of blood sugar spikes is sugar — and that carbs convert to sugar in the body. And they’re right that candy and donuts are part of [...]
Building neural networks
How does the brain think?
Thinking builds neural networks, which is why practice improves performance. AUTHOR: Jennifer Robinson, PhD, Auburn University Have you ever wondered how your brain creates thoughts or why something randomly popped into your head? It may seem like magic – but actually the brain is like a supercomputer inside your head that helps you think, learn and make decisions. Imagine your brain as a busy city with lots of streets and [...]
Literary Companionship
How our simple gratitude list evolved into a “memory journal project”
Why journal? Many reasons! On both a personal and professional level, journaling is a powerful tool which can be life-changing. Why did I journal? The following post describes some of the phases involved in keeping the Memory Journal for my parents over a ten-year period. Context matters People have been journaling for centuries. In the 60's, Dr. Ira Progoff, a NYC psychologist began offering programs on the "intensive journal method." [...]
Let the sun shine in!
Could ‘musical medicine’ influence healthy aging?
Many of us have favorite songs that can help us relax after a hectic day or get us moving on the dance floor. Music can also be a powerful gateway to memory; for example, a song from our past may bring back memories that trigger strong emotions. But what is happening in our brains when we hear a song that is meaningful to us? Could music make older adults not [...]
A common denominator
There is nothing inevitable or natural about chronic disease
"Our ship is sinking, and the current approach is akin to bailing with a thimble. If we are to stem the rising tide of chronic disease, we must alter the elements of our environment that promote chronic disease." Author: Clayton Dalton, MD, completed a medical residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He attended medical school at Columbia University. In the 1830s, British settlers in New Zealand imported European [...]
Transforming Thoughts
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”
Meet Our Dementia Influencers
That Significant Moment
That significant moment – that moment which quietly resonated with the lifestyle choices made during our interlude at the ranch. That moment which reaffirmed a desire to be together – and continue on. That moment of encounter with a simple idea – in an article, a book, a recording, a teleconference, a phone conversation. That moment which was consciousness-altering. That moment which, quite simply, rocked!
This page is dedicated to those professionals whose body of work resonated with our experience at the ranch. Each is listed successively in the order in which their work came into my awareness during the course of our being together.
Based on the contribution to culture change of these professionals, it is my hope that the lifework of each one may inspire others when most needed. We are all indebted to them for their leadership in transforming the culture of dementia care.
Challenging Notions – Our State of Belief
A Synopsis of Real Life Pleasures
Sense
of Place
Food
for Life
Mindful
Presence
Literary
Companionship
Music
as Medicine
Creating
Community
