A friend asked me recently, “how can you do that work when you have so many people die?”She is correct; my team and I regularly spend our workdays with folks who are living through their final season of life. And we often remain in their lives until they breathe their last. Since December 1 of 2020, four of the people…
Have you ever tried to help your loved one with dementia make sense of their finances? Ever tried to get them to see why they should stop driving? Tried to help them understand and accept why they need help in their home, with their home, and with managing their day-to-day? I spoke with a woman the other day. She is…
I was visiting with some new friends recently, most of whom have some idea of the work I do. One asked if I had worked the previous day, which happened to be a Sunday. I said, “Yes. And my friend (with dementia) and I went for three walks, and for a drive in the mountains, and out for lunch, and…
Two people have told me recently, “learning to get it right with dementia is like learning a new language.” If you have ever traveled to another country where the people speak a different language and you do not speak that language, you know the uneasy feeling and clumsy struggle of navigating your way. So it is with dementia until we…
Families often share, when speaking about their loved one with dementia, “He just won’t get up out his chair.” Or, “I can’t seem to get Mom out the door for a walk anymore.” When I suggest to my friend Lola that it is a beautiful day for a walk and that I wonder if she would like to join me,…
Last Sunday, I spoke with my friend Nan who lives in Houston. She is eighty-five years old and lives alone in the home she and her late husband moved into decades before. She is healthy of mind and body, except for a recent seizure that left her restricted from driving. Her two daughters live close, are attentive, and see her…
No one expected 2020 to turn out like it has. This year has required adjustments, patience, and new learning. No one expects, or hopes, for dementia to be part of one’s own life. Once dementia is part of the equation, it requires families to adjust the way they do things, often hiring in help, or changing expectations or the ways…
My Grandmother’s headstone, resting in the High Butte Cemetery where the sun rises over Chimney Rock reads, “She loved life”. My Grandmother grew up in a sod house in the panhandle of Western Nebraska on land that her father and his three brothers homesteaded. I stand on this land now and wonder how they ever made sod “bricks” for their…
In order to keep my car in its best shape, I trust the good folks at BG Automotive. I trust them because they know cars, they know my car, and they know how to keep it in good shape by preventing problems with proper maintenance. And when my car begins to rattle or sputter, I am confident that BG Automotive…
My friend Dottie. I’ve written about her before. She recently turned 97 years old and I was honored to be with her that day…when her family and beloved friends were not able to be with her because of Covid restrictions. The sad reality is that few residents of senior living facilities have regular visits from family and beloved friends. But…
