My mother Marilyn was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in her late 60s, but I recognized that something was wrong in her mid-60s. She had been displaying signs of nervousness and was more forgetful than usual. She had always been a very outgoing and confident woman who dressed very fashionably. One day I noticed that her skirt hem was hanging and that she wasn’t taking the same care in her appearance. My mother succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease one year […]
I’ve been a proud team captain for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s for five years. I Walk for all those living with Alzheimer’s, including myself. I started having trouble with my memory in my 40s. I worked in a doctor’s office as a nurse and suddenly I forgot how to calculate inches to feet in height. Then, I couldn’t remember what shots were given at what age. Eventually, I forgot how to spell the doctor’s […]
Family, fitness and faith are all at the center of my being. I was a caregiver for 13 years for two of the most important men in my life – my fathers. Like many caregivers, I experienced the joy and heartbreak of caring for my parents. It was a journey that sometimes made me laugh and sometimes made me cry. When my father was diagnosed with dementia after suffering from two strokes, I was concerned […]
Nikki Dodson is care partner for her husband Ken who has younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease. They are both 37 years old. We spoke to them about their reality of being a young family with a very unique story and a huge passion for ending Alzheimer’s. Nikki Ken received his Alzheimer’s diagnosis a week before his 30th birthday. Needless to say, it was a very difficult time. Even gaining access to some Alzheimer’s informative resources has been […]
Today, on The Longest Day, my husband and I will wake up early to hike Mount Evans in Colorado with our team of friends, the Mile High Memory Club. It’s our third year participating in The Longest Day, a sunrise-to-sunset event that symbolizes the challenging journey of those living with the disease and their caregivers. This will be our second year hiking a Colorado 14’er (elevation: 14,265’) to honor someone we love very much who is living with Alzheimer’s […]
Being a mom is no easy task. It involves headaches, backaches, heartaches and plenty of exhaustion. It can also be one of life’s greatest joys. Being a caregiver is a difficult role. Approximately two-thirds of caregivers are women, and over one-third of dementia caregivers are daughters. We know that mothers and daughters share a unique bond, and this Mother’s Day, we are celebrating mother-daughter relationships that are truly as unique as they come. Watch these videos to […]
Brenda Bouchard is certainly qualified to advocate on behalf of people affected by Alzheimer’s. The 58-year-old New Hampshire resident serves as a full-time caregiver for her mother with the disease, as well as for her husband, Ken, 69, who has younger-onset Alzheimer’s. My husband was just 59 years old when our journey began. He, like his grandfather, mother, seven aunts and uncles and two older brothers before him was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. That was […]
Women are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Nearly two-thirds of the more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s are women and two-thirds of the more than 15 million Americans providing care and support for someone with Alzheimer’s disease are women. This devastating disease places an unbalanced burden on women at work and at home, forcing them to make difficult choices about their careers, their relationships and their futures. As real a concern as […]
“Was I there, too?” Mom asks as my dad tells us about a concert they attended Monday night. “Of course,” he responds. “I don’t remember,” Mom replies. “I don’t even know if I’m here or there.” We laugh, because in context, it’s funny. What it means, however, is that Mom is aware of her memory loss, of her dislocation from time, of her inability to live beyond the moment. We’ve accepted this about her. And […]
Let me start by simply saying thank you! Thank you for your tireless work in the medical field. You may be prescribing or handing her medication, and checking for side effects. Maybe you are the nurse’s aide who helps her get dressed in the morning and reminds her where the dining room is. Are you the social worker who takes my concerned calls? Or the lab technician who draws her routine blood work? Maybe you […]
