Columns

Max had a reputation, and it wasn’t a good one, at least not wholly. But no one is perfect, especially not a beagle mix with a bent toward naughtiness and a penchant for leftovers. Over time, Max’s good outweighed his wrong, and my family became fiercely attached to the little…

I hope you’re enjoying all that the summer months have to offer. In my case and possibly in yours, caregiving days for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias continued even when the kids were out of school. But even though you’re still busy with laundry, meals, and all that accompanies…

Winter is lovely; without winter, there’d be no Christmas. But by February’s end, chilly folks start dreaming of long summer days, exchanging shivering for sweat, and trading snow shovels for mowers to cut the greener grass on the other side of winter. Then, suddenly, we awake in June. Caregivers…

I’m grateful to write a weekly column for Alzheimer’s News Today. It’s true what they say about writing: It’s cathartic. But I can’t lie. Writing about the events surrounding my mother’s Alzheimer’s disease and our family’s experience with it can be painful. At times, my writing takes me…

Note: This story was updated May 31, 2023, to correct the long-term cost for people living with dementia is expected to reach $345 billion this year, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, not $345 million. When I think about the vast number of people affected by Alzheimer’s disease, it can…

One early morning there was a knock at my sister’s door. My mother was on the other side. There Mom stood, not alone, but with a neighbor. An elderly woman like my mother walking for exercise wasn’t unusual in my sister’s neighborhood, but Mom, who split her time between her…

Think about your last doctor’s appointment. At any point during the visit, did you find yourself intimidated? Did the doctor order tests? Did you understand what they were and why they were ordered? Once the results were in and the doctor explained them, did you understand everything? Were you comfortable…

Most often, people diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease exhibit symptoms in their mid-to-late 60s. Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease can appear as early as 30, though thankfully, that’s rare. By the time someone reaches 60, they have many life experiences with family, friends, and acquaintances. They often…

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. Defining it and its causes, however, is complicated. Researchers in Toronto at the University Health Network’s Krembil Brain Institute, for instance, suggest that Alzheimer’s is not primarily a brain disorder, but instead more of an autoimmune disease.

Caregivers, by definition, provide care, and part of that involves protecting patients or loved ones from physical harm and emotional stress. Troubling news crossed my desk this week in the form of a story out of Brevard County, Florida. Sadly, an elderly woman with dementia and living in a care…