Mixed Feelings

As a person who is living with Alzheimer’s, I have very mixed feelings about how I should talk about it. I have become an outspoken advocate in the dementia arena, but I feel like I am always at odds with so many. And it is sometimes hard for me to decide what my message should be. Should it be about living life to the fullest or all doom and gloom about the horrible disease? When I started my work as an advocate, I realized early on that if I painted too positive a picture of Alzheimer’s I would not get

Thankful

Last year, my husband, Jim, lost his 7-year battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. He was just 53 years old. It hurt to spend the holidays without him. But as I reflect on the most difficult year of my life, I’m filled with gratitude for all those who find the strength to keep fighting this devastating disease. I am thankful for those fighting so hard for critical research funding, including UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, and for researchers who are in the trenches trying to find a cure. It must get frustrating going to work each day when for every step forward it seems there

Alzheimer’s & Dementia Gift Ideas

When my mother was alive, every year as the holidays approached I found myself struggling to come up with gift ideas for her. She was living with Alzheimer’s, and I wanted to get something useful that she would enjoy. Not something that would end up in a drawer or closet never to be seen again. However, as her dementia progressed, the options dwindled, requiring more and more creativity. The good news is that in recent years, there’s been an increase in items designed specifically with dementia-related needs in mind. In fact, a simple search on Amazon yields many great products

It Is Getting Harder and Harder to be an Optimist

The recent announcement by Eli Lilly that a new drug intended to slow memory loss in people with Alzheimer’s had failed a late-stage clinical trial felt like a punch in the gut. Look, I know that finding a treatment for dementia is a complex, Herculean task. But I was so sure that this time it was going to happen. And when it didn’t, I knew the devastation that the thousands of people who volunteered for this clinical trial must have felt, as well as the dedicated Eli Lilly researchers and all those who’d devoted their time and energy to crushing

Creating Moments of Joy at the Holidays

When your loved one is living with dementia, the holidays are bound to change. While this can feel very sad and like a loss, it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. With each stage, consider creating new traditions or modifying old ones in a way that allows you to meet your loved one right where they are. My mom was always the center of our holiday celebrations. For as long as I remembered, she prepared a smaller version of the Italian Feast of Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. She made it look so effortless - I think she could