November is National Family Caregivers Month. Some may be preparing to raise a holiday toast to the dementia care partner. No eloquently-raised family toast, however, would be received with such gratitude as being offered hands-on assistance! The simple offering of help would give profound meaning to the words of this [...]
Low diastolic pressure can arise as a result of medication use, heart failure or other health complications. But, in most people, it is simply a matter of the heart not pumping out enough blood with each stroke; in other words, low cardiac output. And low cardiac output occurs when not [...]
This well-researched 2008 publication covers the concept of Alzheimer’s disease from its intriguing history to the monumental challenge it has become today. The book’s practical perspective provides a new lens by which to view the challenges of living with brain aging. Anecdotal sharing of my personal experiences of past [...]
We came from similar rural backgrounds in the Midwest, and eventually, we became part of some of the same networks. Following undergraduate studies at the same college, our paths were linked via the alumni network for which she and Ramzi, her spouse, were later named as recipients of the [...]
Comfort IN, Dump OUT... How not to say the wrong thing? What is The Ring Theory – and what is its best application? How to unpack this technique? Upon receiving a diagnosis of dementia, one’s social contacts can change abruptly, and sometimes end. Old friends and associates stop coming because [...]
I was simply stunned. This time, it hit close to home. My deceased father had been in a highly invisible group of people ... a group which, in many cultures, is revered and held in esteem. Writing this in a chaotic post-truth era, the words of the Acting White [...]
A voice for change, Dr. Bill Thomas was featured in the very first regional Alzheimer’s Association publication, Spring 1999 issue, which I received after my hometown arrival in late ‘98. It was an unforgettable moment in which his compelling words totally resonated. Even today, two decades later, his words [...]
I learned about The Chalice and The Blade during a 1987 dinner meeting of Women in Management in Chicago's downtown chapter. The book is now considered a classic. It is an important historical review of the shaping of human culture, comparing two basic models of society – the dominator [...]
Tip #10 – it got our attention! Dr. Andrew Weil was not a new name in our household when he was featured as the “alternative health guru” on Time Magazine’s cover in 2005. We had a number of his books on our shelves dating back to the 90’s and we had [...]
In this landmark book, Dr. Power calls for radical change in our system and the way in which we provide care. We must question being “stuck in a pill paradigm,” the biomedical response of thinking that medication is what is needed. This is the first book by a physician to [...]
