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Your experiences with alzheimer's

From the lens Dealing with Alzheimer's - my personal experiences.

  • Jeanie May 12, 2012 @ 2:17 pm | delete
    I've often thought about writing something to document the 22 years my family has spent caring for our Mom with Alzheimers. She was the youngest in a large family in which most of the siblings contracted the disease and we have so much to share with others ... maybe when I can put it behind me. It's been just a year since my Mom passed from the disease and it continues to stun me when I realize I don't need to keep one eye and one ear open for her. The whole experience tore my family apart ... one part caring for Mom and the other turning a blind eye. True colors come out when we are tested. Thank you very much for sharing your story. I could relate to everything .. my Mom used to complain about me TO ME all of the time ... pretty funny sometimes. Thanks, again.
  • KayeSI May 7, 2012 @ 9:56 am | delete
    Very interesting lens to read and to share with others caring for their aging parents, including those with Alzheimers Disease. Thank you for writing it.
  • Sam Apr 18, 2012 @ 2:31 pm | delete
    I can relate- I wish i had something positive to say but alzheimer's does not work that way.
  • Conny Ricci Mar 30, 2012 @ 10:58 pm | delete
    I live in the US and my mother is in the Netherlands. The guilt I feel is enormous. I talk to my mother at least twice a day. She calls me early in the morning and I call her back at a more reasonable time. It used to be OK to talk to her and we would have a good conversation. The last couple of weeks she is really, really sad and cries a lot and is very angry. She lives in a home and I know she has a lovely staff that takes care of her, she doesn't think so. Most times I can handle it and try to calm her down and talk about my day. Sometimes I don't know what to say and don't know what to do.
  • mixter-miagi Mar 27, 2012 @ 5:53 am | delete
    This article has been a true eye opener and has greatly helped me deal with the difficulties involved in caring for my grandmother. I would like to thank you for having share your experience in such detail so that others might also know how to handle the situation.

    Thank you for recommending "The 36 Hour Day"! Although I have only given myself the time to read a little, that little has greatly helped along side this article. It has allowed me to suggest to my grandfather, who refused to believe it was alzheimer's, that, due to the fact she has heart problems, it could make sense that it is vascular dementia. The doctors have confirmed the possibility and it has allowed us to maintain her mental health at a sustained level thus far.

    This article and the book have both allowed me to also help maintain a decent quality of life for her at times, which can be very strenuous but very rewarding when a smile appears from time to time. I only hope that I will be able to continue bringing her smiles and ridding her of anxiety.

    INFINITE THANKS AND ALL MY RESPECTS TO YOU!
  • DJHughes Mar 24, 2012 @ 4:39 pm | delete
    This is such great information shared here. Alzheimer's becomes a very heavy disease for the sufferer and those who care for them. I so wish there was an easy cure. One of my in-laws suffers with dementia and it takes its toll on everyone.

    I have a lens about activities for those with dementia. An aspect of life sometimes considered the least important, but can make all the difference in their quality of life.

    http://www.squidoo.com/dementia-activities
  • ---Chazz Mar 17, 2012 @ 9:45 am | delete
    Beautifully written and an accurate description of our experience with my father-in-law's 15 years of suffering from early-onset Alzheimers. Most people still don't realize that this horror can strike those in the prime of life as well as the aged.
  • Krishan Feb 2, 2012 @ 7:12 am | delete
    It's indeed a very sensitive piece of writing. This article has helped me understand what one of my uncles is going through currently. He's 84 with frail body, but remembers the address and the location of his old home. Day before yesterday, when I took him there, he was not willing to return. He could not recognize any of his next-door neighbours. Spending sometime with him beside the road (his old home is not in use for the last many years), and showing all my empathy I could bring him back to our home. The next morning, he did not have any recollection of the previous day-long affairs. But he keeps on repeating his address and yearns to go there.

    It's rather sad that he wants to go to his old home which is not habitable, and he cannot plan how he would live in that house. Sometimes I feel that he's stuck with his home to the extent that he remembers only that and nothing else of much import. I have spent time with him, but any number of times I visit him, he does not recognize me. Even polite reminders are of not much help. The only thing which makes him talk to me without much difficulty, is the empathy and patience I extend towards him. Being non-judgemental helps me to have a long conversation with him, and an occasional smile on his face, assures me that this is one of the ways to attend to such persons.

    Wish there are some effective medicines for such elderly persons.
  • PlasticBeach Jan 20, 2012 @ 1:03 am | delete
    This is a very touching, detailed account and I'm pleased yo chose to share. As my grandmother's mental state continues to visibly deteriorate, my family is slowly accepting the reality of her disease. My experiences with my grandmother are so very similar to your's it is unbelievable. My family however, chose to keep her at home, due mostly to the stigma associated with the disease but we were able to arrange a live-in caretaker. Although she is in the same house she's lived for many decades, she constantly asks for someone to take her home. When I visit, I'll explain that she's already home but she doesn't accept it.

    I too had a conversation with my grandmother where she was talking to me about me. In my case, she told stories of how much she loves me, and of the trouble I will most likely try to get into when I get home from school. She spoke of how my grandfather has not yet come home but he should hurry or I will get upset when I get home from school and grandfather isn't there. My grandfather passed away 8 years ago, the period she was speaking of, I was about 10 to 12 years old. This conversation took place just last year. It was heartbreaking to sit in front of her, with her not realizing that I am that child she's speaking of, who she nurtured for so many years. I probably would have cried if she wasn't so vibrant, so energetic as she spoke. I am pleased that I was able to capture that moment on film as there are not many moments where she seem happy. I try to visit with her once per week, she rarely recognizes me and immediately breaks down as soon as I say who I am. She gets in bouts of incoherence, often trying to spell the words since she can no longer find them but gets frustrated after she's had to repeat the first few letters because she's unable to finish. She cries alot, it's very depressing. My mother and her siblings all have different reactions to the situation, justification, avoidance, empathy, blame on someone else. It's sad because it feels like such a sense of loss, and helplessness. My grandmother will be 85 this year, the worst pain is to see her suffer this way knowing that not even 10 years ago she was the force, the strength behind my family. My heart goes out to anyone struggling through this situation with a loved one, it's not an easy road to travel.
  • Luv2help Nov 26, 2011 @ 4:12 pm | delete
    Your lens is very similar to my experiences with my mother-in-law. It's a difficult time for all. Thanks for sharing.
  • Ann marie Sep 30, 2011 @ 4:00 pm | delete
    Katinka, today has been one of the harder days for myself and I came to Google looking for help or just someone who knew what I am going through with my grandmother. I'm so glad I found your page. It has given me such insight on things I don't understand and the things to come. I would love a chance to talk with you if it is something you might be able to manage. My e mail is amstanton@yahoo.com I find myself wondering what to do next... Thank you so much. My heart goes out to you and your family as well as everyone else experiencing this.
  • spirituality Oct 1, 2011 @ 2:01 am | delete
    Mail sent, though I'm not sure what I can do.
  • lakeerieartists Sep 30, 2011 @ 12:57 pm | delete
    Very moving account. I went through some of these same things with my mother in law. My heart goes out to you.
  • Alexandre Narten Sep 30, 2011 @ 10:34 am | delete
    Hi Katinka,

    Your dairy has been a great comforting read. Thank you ever so much! Bless you!
  • mbgphoto Sep 14, 2011 @ 4:56 pm | delete
    Thank you for a wonderful lens...my Mom has alzheimer's and your words were helpful. Blessed.
  • DavidDove Jul 14, 2011 @ 11:44 am | delete
    This lens is just so helpful, everyone should read it. I will be directing traffic from my own lenses if I can work out how to do it, I'm no techie. Thank you, a very comprehensive picture of what it means to be involved with Alzheimer's - and for all your other inspitational lenses.
  • madelaide Jul 8, 2011 @ 4:11 pm | delete
    My aunt had Alzheimer's but was able to be cared at her home. However, at some point she started believing this was not her home, she was just visiting. She had been a very active woman and it was sad to see her become someone else, living in her own world, not recognizing any of the people who had been part of her life.
    A geriatrician told me that Alzheimer's is diagnosed by excluding several other forms of dementia. However, people normally infers that any elderly person showing memory loss is suffering from Alzheimer's - this is completely wrong.
    Keep up the good work, Donna, great information here.
  • Donding Jul 8, 2011 @ 12:27 pm | delete
    I understand what you are saying. My grandmother died at age 82 not knowing who anyone was and not knowing where she was. It was a blessing when she passed because I felt she was finally at peace and the suffering was gone. Now my mother was just diagnosed with early stages of Alzheimer's and we have another long road ahead of us. Thank you for writing this and hopefully help others to understand what this disease is like and what to expect and how to deal with it. It brought tears to my eyes.
  • bames24 May 26, 2011 @ 12:02 am | delete
    this is a great lens... My Mom has dementia and she tends to forget a lot of stuff... I know it is different from Alzheimer's but I can understand some what you went through... Thanks for sharing a great lens :)
  • Ladymermaid Apr 16, 2011 @ 3:02 pm | delete
    This article would be excellent int the healthy living - aging categories too. Best wishes.
  • Helene-Malmsio Apr 6, 2011 @ 11:11 am | delete
    Your stories here made me cry (but I did get one laugh out of the two ladies talking together in two streams of conversation) as Alzheimer is such a tragedy, as the family watches helplessly as the person the know and love fades away forever in small stages. It is good to see her surrounded by a family that loves and cares about her.
  • LeanneChesser Apr 1, 2011 @ 10:07 am | delete
    Wow. Thanks for sharing your story. Blessed!
  • pkmcr Jan 28, 2011 @ 12:11 pm | delete
    Thank you! An incredible story of courage on her part and on all of yours. Told with insight and incredibly poignantly at times. Congratulations on the Purple Star and added to my Lensography of Purple Stars :-)
  • schillerS Dec 22, 2010 @ 3:39 pm | delete
    Wonderful job... My Mom is in the advanced stages of ALZ and although I've seen many cases in the care center, your Grama's journey is the most similar. Mom went to the care center in Sept 2008. We discussed Memory Care but we didn't want to more her again which in hindsight would have only been about 9 month - like your Grama. Yesterday I attended their Xmas party and sat with a couple attending with their aged Mother, farther advanced. She could no longer speak, walk, or feed herself. But she smiled... alot. The daugher told me she read that Alz patients are actually very happy.... It's the decent that is the most difficult. God bless you for caring.... not many do.
  • Vernon - Idaho Nov 30, 2010 @ 11:06 pm | delete
    Thank you for your words. My Mom died of Alzheimer complications about two and a half months ago. I was the Principle (and really, the only) Caregiver for about 5.5 years. When i first began Care Giving, though I could find lots of clinical information related to Alzheimer's, et al, I found very little that was dedicated to hands on 'how to(s)'. I developed a WebSite for that purpose and hope I am not being too forward by suggesting it. (Except for one unrelated item pertinent to Site development, it is not a Site structured for sales.) Perhaps reading about the experiences I had will help others who are working through their own difficulties... http://www.alzheimersinhomecare.com (Alzheimer's In Home Care) Thank you for your good words!!!
  • Titia Nov 30, 2010 @ 8:07 pm | delete
    It's a bit odd to say 'great lens' in regard of the subject, but it really is. It's sad, but at the same time it's a good way to write emotions away. Thanks for sharing.
  • stuhaynes Nov 12, 2010 @ 8:54 am | delete
    It's an awful condition and one that my mother, she's 83, is suffering from now.
  • MisterJeremy Nov 12, 2010 @ 7:34 am | delete
    Thanks for this lens. It brought back memories of my grandfather who struggled with alzheimer's disease. Blessed.
  • darciefrench Nov 8, 2010 @ 5:47 pm | delete
    I love the pictures of your grandmother- I feel like I know her now. Angel blessed and included on November Blessings under mental health personal stories.
  • Pukeko Oct 22, 2010 @ 6:20 am | delete
    Beautiful lens. I am back with my wings. Blessed by a Squidoo angel and added to Angel Blessings From Pukeko October 2010
  • fanfreluche Oct 22, 2010 @ 4:34 am | delete
    I find the photos with your brother very moving. My husband grand-mother has Alzheimer and really since they decided to put her into a specialized institution, it is better for everyone. She is far less "paranoid" now, she has no connection to reality anymore but at least now she is peaceful. before her delirium was very stressful to her, now at least her "world" is more peaceful. It's a very difficult disease for the close family to deal with.
  • WriterBuzz Oct 10, 2010 @ 5:34 am | delete
    Nice idea for a lens. Very informative. Gave you a quick thumbs up.
  • EditorDave Sep 26, 2010 @ 1:06 am | delete
    Thank you for this warm and sensitive lens. My mom just passed away after about 5 years of progressively worse Alzheimer's (and other ailments). My sister was the one stuck with most of the *caregiving*--because my wife, my family, and I moved 1800 miles away more than 20 years ago. The stress on the caregivers is so bad--I'm glad my sister found an Alzheimer's caregivers' support group in her community that meets once a month and provides advise, counseling, and other help to those with the rough task of just helping their loved ones get through the day. I've liked, favorited, thumbs-upped, and lensrolled this lens! Congratulations on a great job!
  • awelldressedbullet Sep 22, 2010 @ 12:32 pm | delete
    I can't even imagine how difficult it must be to not only deal with the illness but also our loved ones suffering from this terrible illness. I have a friend who cared for his elderly mother, did the best he could for her, took many years of heartache and stress, eventually he did have to place her in specialized care. My heart goes out to all caregivers! - Kathy
  • kab Sep 21, 2010 @ 9:12 am | delete
    This lens is being featured today on The Squid Calendar (also on facebook).
  • Pastiche Sep 12, 2010 @ 2:50 pm | delete
    This is such a personal story about a heart-breaking illness, but you've presented it in a way that helps me understand many of the issues. My father had a bit of dementia before he passed on, but it was not true Alzheimer's. It must be so difficult for your grandmother as well as all the family members as the disease robs her of her memories and life's moments. Bless you all, and I am honored to add this lens to the Purple Star Pastiche.
  • whitemoss Aug 11, 2010 @ 9:05 am | delete
    A very moving lens on a subject which still doesn't get aired enough. I'm writing this on my father in law's 90th birthday- he is one of the lucky ones- though I'm not sure he always appreciates it.
  • Sandie Aug 6, 2010 @ 9:19 pm | delete
    I want to thank you SO MUCH for writing this article. You have hit every nail on the head as far as the issues go. I don't think anyone who has been in our shoes totally gets what is going on. I don;t feel so alone now! AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH!
  • ClaudeKinney May 18, 2010 @ 9:06 am | delete
    Excellent Lens!! I enjoyed reading it.
    I'd Love for you to visit my lens & give me some feedback.

    Procera
    Short Term Memory Loss
    Alzheimer's Disease
  • mulberry May 9, 2010 @ 11:13 am | delete
    I'm sure you must feel helpless at times, but I think you are doing everything possible for your grandmother. Your love and attention will have a positive effect, even if it can't be voiced or actknowledged.
  • Wednesday_Elf May 9, 2010 @ 9:12 am | delete
    Thank you for sharing your very personal story about your grandmother and the effect Alzheimer's has not only on her, but the entire family. It's such a sad disease in that it robs people of their memories and eventually the ability to communicate.

    I've known a couple people who had to suffer with Alzheimer's and I missed who they used to be the whole time. Perhaps one day a cure will be found so people, and their loved ones, won't have to go through what you, your family and your grandmother have had to. Hugs to you and a special hug for your grandmother.
  • vallain May 9, 2010 @ 8:07 am | delete
    Oh, it's such a terrible disease. I saw glimpses of it with my grandmother, but wasn't nearby to see the whole progression like you are experiencing. You have my greatest sympathy.
  • ShirlW May 9, 2010 @ 8:05 am | delete
    A very touching labor of love you have written here.
  • lollyj Apr 27, 2010 @ 8:04 am | delete
    You put a very human face on a terrible disease. Regardless of what option a person chooses care-wise, Alzheimer's and related dementias exhaust everyone who cares about the afflicted loved one. My grandma stayed at home until her behaviors put herself and others at risk.
    Thank you for sharing your experiences honestly here, and congrats on the purple star.
  • themoneyhat Apr 25, 2010 @ 3:23 pm | delete
    I had a family member who suffer from alzheimer. Thank you for your insight into the matter. I was glad she could remember some things about me when we last spoke. She was very dear to me. Keep up the good work.
  • Norma_Budden Apr 23, 2010 @ 9:11 pm | delete
    Congrats again, Purple Squid. I'll add this to your feature later but, for now, I think you'll want to visit: http://www.squidoo.com/luvmyludwigs-purple-stars
  • rms Apr 22, 2010 @ 6:25 pm | delete
    Your Purple Star has been awarded by our Purple Star Queen of the week, luvmyludwig.
  • The-Java-Gal Feb 12, 2010 @ 2:27 am | delete
    It's after midnight, just one more lens to read - yours. No one really understands the full impact of Alzheimer's unless they are a closely involved relative or take care of Alzheimer's patients. I am not sure of my typing, because of tears. Thankfully,my Dad passed away last month, after a full fledged 10 year onslaught of Alzheimers, and 10 years of short term memory loss before that. I know what you are are experiencing, and facing. I returned to my parents' home to help take care of my Dad for 5 years, until the delusions and paranoia got so bad, we finally had to put him in a nursing home. I know there are a number of very cruel diseases out there, but Alzheimer's has to be on the top ten list. Even before the nursing home, he did not know his wife of 65 years, nor his only daughter. (He just knew we were familiar). After two years in a nursing home, we were not even familiar. In this case, death was a friend and a blessing.

    Sometime soon I will write my own story. One piece of wisdom from all this - well, maybe a couple of pieces - first, do not take anything as a personal issue against you, no matter how much it may seem to be. Just love her. They don't remember conversations, but they do vaguely remember people helping them feel good. It is the "long goodbye." Say your goodbyes to the person she was, and do what you can to comfort this new, confused being. The terrible truth - there are no Alzheimer's survivors. There aren't any remissions. Help your mom and relatives. Somebody has to be the anchor for the family. And if there are unresolved family issues, it is time to forgive, heal, and help each other through a very difficult time. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Make sure you have a personal support system.
  • Norma_Budden Feb 9, 2010 @ 11:19 am | delete
    You'll want to check this out... Angel Blessings.
  • Norma_Budden Feb 9, 2010 @ 11:14 am | delete
    I don't live close to my grandmother but I do see the signs in her that you mention here. May, 2009, I had a normal phone conversation with her though I hadn't seen her in 6 years. In July, when I went to visit, she didn't know who I was and, later, got me mixed up with my mother. It is difficult to deal with and I live far enough away that daily life is not affected...but it's shattering to see a brilliant mind going to waste - a caretaker being the one who is now tended on, hand and foot.
  • Margo Meyerhoff Jan 25, 2010 @ 9:12 pm | delete
    As a young adult dealing with caring for my grandmother who has alzheimer's , its helpful to read this article. To see how someone else deals with this. When she first moved in i really didn't understand how bad her condition was and got frustrated with her confusion (unfortunetly still do sometimes). I try to be understanding as much as possible and to keep her spirits up. Its a learning experience. Thanks you for writing about you experience.
  • sandralynnsparks Sep 8, 2009 @ 5:30 pm | delete
    The most difficult part for me, with my father, was when he went through the violent stage. He would have nightmares, and the next morning he would try to kill me. I had to talk him out of this several times. Worse - when I told my brother, he didn't believe me. My brother and older sister could not face my father's illness. It was terribly difficult...

    I will eventually write about my own experiences with this, but life will have to be calm and orderly when I do! It's still stressful to remember it.

    Thank you for this lens...
  • Dr_Rozno Aug 14, 2009 @ 12:00 pm | delete
    Great article that covers a lot of helpful information. I will make link to it on my Alzhiemer's Diagnosis lens
  • Demaw Aug 5, 2009 @ 10:31 am | delete
    Even after many years of working with people living with dementia I still find it one of the saddest things to deal with emotionally.5*
  • Lee Jun 5, 2009 @ 8:04 am | delete
    Your grandmother is lucky to have you! God bless you for enriching her life. I am going through this with my mother but she is not yet in a home although we are seeing a rapid decline in her ablities so the time may come soon. I chuckeled when I read your grandmother complained to you about you because my mother has been complaining about my brother to him : ). Great lens and thank you for sharing!
  • EverythingMouse May 21, 2009 @ 11:22 am | delete
    Angel Blessings to you. I do understand something of what you are experiencing as my grandmother lived with alzheimers for over a decade. I was young at the time but it made a lasting impression.
  • Comfortdoc May 18, 2009 @ 1:29 pm | delete
    Been there with my grandmother as well. Welcome to the Grief & Loss Club.
  • jmsp206 May 4, 2009 @ 4:00 am | delete
    My mother had alzheimers and she had to go into care as it just was not safe for her to be living on her own anymore.After our father died we realised to what extent she had the desease as they did try to hide it away from us.It was a really hard thing to do to put her into a nursing home and it is so sad that sometimes there is no alternative.
    Its great that some of us with loved ones who had this desease are now writing about their experiences.
  • chefkeem Apr 13, 2009 @ 3:19 pm | delete
    Blessing for your grandma and this lens! :-)
  • Janusz Apr 8, 2009 @ 3:15 pm | delete
    Great Lens! Blessed :)
  • Ramkitten Apr 8, 2009 @ 10:44 am | delete
    Thank you for sharing this very honest, touching story. My mother used to work in a state mental health facility, in the area (okay, locked ward) for seniors. As a child, I would occasionally go to work with her, so I was exposed to Alzheimer's at a very young age. I remember one woman who liked to brush my hair--it's amazing I have any left!--and she was in an advanced state of the disease. One day, though, she became completely lucid all of a sudden, knew exactly where she was, who she was, and didn't mistake me for her own grandchild. (She didn't have a grandchild or children for that matter.) I ran to get my mom to tell her, "Ruth's cured!" but, when we got back to her, Ruth once again had no idea where she was. A heart-breaking, strange disease.
  • julcal Feb 10, 2009 @ 8:54 pm | delete
    This is heart-breaking. I've heard of and have had in-laws with Alzheimer's, but have never heard such a detailed description. that video was really heart-breaking. thanks for the great lens *****
  • GrowWear Feb 10, 2009 @ 12:03 pm | delete
    So sad, this disease. Would love to give your grandmother a hug.
  • spirituality Nov 20, 2008 @ 4:43 am | delete
    That sounds like just the right place for people to retire to. Small, but enough people to be social. If we had options like that here, I think we would have had my grandmother go to something like that.
  • kathypi Nov 19, 2008 @ 8:30 pm | delete
    My husband and I live in, and operate a personal care home for seniors, Altzeimers is very difficult to watch progress, many residents have come and gone, but it is always pretty much the same, coming at a time they are unable to be alone anymore, to watching as the forgetfulness and confusion progress, we have many happy and sad moments, one that sticks out in my mind, was ISABELLE, in her 80's. WE WERE THE ONLY CARE HOME SHE COULD FIND THAT WOULD LET HER BRING HER LITTLE DOG, A really sad moment is when I was helping her get ready to go out, she looked in the mirror, and said, " who is that", she always related to me, as if we were the same age, but that took me by surprise. We are licensed for 5 residents, two of whom are our own mothers.
  • flowski Nov 13, 2008 @ 2:24 pm | delete
    Alzheimer's is something that scares me. It sounds an awful lot like mad cow.
  • OhMe Nov 4, 2008 @ 3:20 am | delete
    My sister, Joan4 has already shared our story of our Mom having Alzheimers at the young age of 56 back in the 70's. There just wasn't much written about it back then and so little was known. I think advances are being made. I sure hope so. You are doing a wonderful job with sharing your story. I remember that there was one book called the 36 Hour Day that I read after mom's death and wished that I had been able to read it earlier. I am lensrolling to my Thanksgiving Prayer lens.
  • KimGiancaterino Oct 22, 2008 @ 9:41 pm | delete
    Alzheimer's robbed my proud, strong grandmother of her personality. It was hard to watch her memory deteriorate over a period of years. Her small poodle, who was always by her side, kept her mind focused on the present. It could have been a lot worse. Thank you for sharing your story.
  • mulberry Oct 21, 2008 @ 8:47 pm | delete
    Back again, staying up to date. It's hard. I have an Aunt who called to invite me to a family reunion this past summer. I told her I would come. I arrived and we sat and chatted for a half an hour when she suddenly said, "I wonder where Christine is? (me) She told me she would be here, that makes me really mad that she didn't come!" Of course, she also tells wild tales about her husband of 50 years that are complete fabrications so I guess it's just how it is now.
  • aj2008 Oct 21, 2008 @ 2:11 pm | delete
    Just to say Katinka that I am thinking of you. I cannot begin to imagine what it must be like for you or your Grandmother. Virtual hugs to you both.
  • Margo_Arrowsmith Oct 21, 2008 @ 7:48 am | delete
    Beautiful lens about a sad event. A few years ago I saw a two person play about a woman with Alzheimer's and her nursing home aid. A beautiful wrenching and surprizingly joyous play. Most of the audience was middle aged or older, but I noticed a college age couple sitting close to us. I thought it may have been an assignment. When the play was over, I saw them and the young man was sobbing into the arms of the young woman. Alzheimer's affects so many lives at so many stages. This young man's grief over a (probably) loved grandparent was palpable.
    5* I think the name of the play was Gloria See it if you have the opportunity
  • 0ctavias0fferings Oct 21, 2008 @ 6:18 am | delete
    One of my Grandmothers suffered from Alzheimers. Her son and one of her daughters tried to look after her at home but it was near impossible to cope by the time they put her into a home.
    Her way of coping was to sit comfortably, watching everything around her as if she were watching a play or a movie. She would even tell her visitors to shhh so she didn't miss the next bit. She talked about her own kids as if they were still very young, talked about looking forward to seeing her first grandchild born (by that time he was in his 40s) and no-one ever really knew if there were moments when she remembered with any clarity.
    You might have thought she had carved a lonely place for herself but she was somehow quite happy and not in any distress. The volunteers and staff were all very kind to her and I think she was under the impression that she (finally) had servants around her.
  • mulberry Sep 12, 2008 @ 1:41 pm | delete
    Thank you for making this lens. I've lost some older relatives to this disease, and currently, my favorite Aunt is battling it. She was admitted to an Alzheimer's unit just last weekend.
  • Joan4 Jul 8, 2008 @ 5:58 am | delete
    You have written such a loving, thoughtful, and knowledgeable lens. Your grandmother is blessed to have you! My mom had Alzheimers in the 1970's- when she was 57 until she died at 67 years old. I remember writing those words - Alzheimers - pre-senile dementia. Now of course it is much better known. Someone told me then that Alzheimers is a ten year funeral. I thought that was a terrible thing to say. But, sadly, they were right. My heart goes to you and to all who are dealing with this nightmare. Praying for a cure!
  • The_Homeopath Jun 28, 2008 @ 2:43 pm | delete
    We dealt with my Grandfather's Alzeimer's for many years before he passed away. You lens is informative and inspiring, although even after 6 years since his death, I must admit that reading this is still difficult for me. Thank you for sharing this with the world.
  • health_advisor Jun 16, 2008 @ 8:12 pm | delete
    Very informative.
    Great lens. Rated it 5 stars.
    Feel free to visit betterhealth Care.
  • chickendumplinchick May 21, 2008 @ 10:46 am | delete
    Thanks for visiting my lens. Was surfing through your list of lens, and saw this lens. You have done what is still too painful for me to do. I lost both my grandmother (at 85 about 10 years ago) and my mother (at 69 a little over a year ago) to Alzheimer's and in addition to the pain of losing them, I deal with the fear that it will happen to me as well someday. Keep the faith and keep spreading your words of inspiration. :)
  • GypsyPirate May 15, 2008 @ 9:13 pm | delete
    Everyone's experiences are different when dealing with Alzheimer's and their loved ones - yet in that difference are the similarities. My grandmother also had Alzheimer's - my heart goes out to you and your family that you all may find your own peace.

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spirituality

I started living with my grandmother two years before she lost her hip. I was shocked at the time at the limitations of her memory - but things were s... more »

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