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Mindful Presence
More families are discussing end-of-life planning as COVID-19 cases rise – here’s how to start the conversation

"With family together, either in person or by video, the holidays offer an opportunity for deep, personal discussions about the future." -  Lindy Grief Davidson, University of South Florida   In homes across the U.S., families increasingly know someone who has been sick or hospitalized with COVID-19. With the death [...]

Mindful Presence
Finding joy in 2020? It’s not such an absurd idea, really

"Joy, on the other hand, has a mysterious capacity to be felt alongside sorrow and even - sometimes, most especially - in the midst of suffering." - Author: Angela Gorrell, Assistant Professor of Practical Theology, George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University     The year 2020 hasn't been [...]

Mindful Presence
Help me to remember, to bestir my compassion, and to shatter my complacency

"... when I have food, help me to remember the hungry. When I have work, help me to remember the jobless. When I have a home, help me to remember those who have no home at all. When I am without pain, help me to remember those who suffer. And [...]

Mindful Presence
What greater gift than being in it together?

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 [...]

2020-11-15T12:51:53-06:00November 8th, 2020|Categories: General, Mindful Presence|Tags: |0 Comments

Mindful Presence
Low blood pressure could be a culprit in dementia, studies suggest

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 [...]

2020-08-22T14:47:37-05:00August 17th, 2020|Categories: General, Mindful Presence|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |Comments Off on Mindful Presence
Low blood pressure could be a culprit in dementia, studies suggest

Creating Community
The Myth of Alzheimer’s – How It Resonated

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 [...]

Mindful Presence
Hope and Hopelessness – How A Friend’s Academic Research Contributes to Culture Change

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 [...]

Mindful Presence
The Ring Theory – When It’s Not About You

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 [...]

Creating Community
Human Rights Violations of Elders With Dementia Led to Suffering and Death

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 [...]

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