The Loving Life of Sally

Some people enter our lives and leave impressions that will remain.  Sally was like that. She loved life.  She loved people.  She loved animals, yoga, walking, music, art, and color.  She especially loved her precious family and her lifelong friends. My team and I had the privilege of knowing her in her final years when dementia made care and support…

Continue ReadingThe Loving Life of Sally

Our Good Friend Mr. J

Did you know that John Wayne’s real name was Marion Robert Morrison, or that Johnny Cash and Billy Graham were dear friends?  We did not know this either until we became friends with Mr. J, who was a John Wayne aficionado and a Johnny Cash fan. Did you know that the Fort Collins/Loveland airport is home to AIMS Community College…

Continue ReadingOur Good Friend Mr. J

Older Folks And Classic Cars

I think this blog is more of a question than anything else.  More of an invitation for readers, people, and society to ponder with me. When a car shows wear and tear, we repair what needs repairing, replace parts, and give it what it needs to keep working.  When a car gets really old, we call it a classic; we…

Continue ReadingOlder Folks And Classic Cars

“Oh Versus No”

There are many times in conversation when we say the word “no.”  We are a fact-based, reality-oriented society, after all, so it is natural to say “no” when we need to correct someone or bring pure facts into our conversation. But the word “no” can become a barrier to a peaceable relationship when one of us has dementia.  You see,…

Continue Reading“Oh Versus No”

A Dementia Epiphany

We are not full-time caregivers. We acknowledge that at the end of our designated time with our companions with dementia, we go to our homes.  We are for sure mindful of the demands, fatigue, grief, uncertainty, and mix of emotions that come with being a caregiver.  We do our best to support caregivers equally as much as we support the…

Continue ReadingA Dementia Epiphany

The Role of Empathy in Dementia Care

Empathy is a cornerstone for how the Better People Care team gets it right with dementia care.  Empathy-the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.Merriam-Webster Dictionary Extending empathy…

Continue ReadingThe Role of Empathy in Dementia Care