Treading Dark Waters - a Column by Ray Burow

The first COVID-19 vaccine was kicked off in the U.S. in mid-December, following an arduous developmental journey. The Wall Street Journal referred to the first rollout of COVID-19 immunizations as “the most urgent mass immunization campaign” since polio. Astonishing feat The sheer strength of effort by medical science to…

Happy belated New Year! Can you remember a time when people looked forward so much to the start of a new year? The anticipation has been nearly palpable, as the entire world seems to have adopted the idea that “happiness is 2020 in the rearview mirror.” Here we are on…

“It’s that time of year / When the world falls in love / Every song you hear seems to say / Merry Christmas …” These words pulled from “The Christmas Waltz” are lovely, but for caregivers, Christmas is also the time of year when resources are less accessible, because…

‘Tis the season of giving, but finding an appropriate and enjoyable gift for the person in your life who has Alzheimer’s disease can leave you in a quandary. Gifting a caregiver isn’t quite as challenging, but it also takes some thought. Then again, that’s true regardless of life’s station —…

In each of us is an innate desire to survive, even to thrive. A healthy mind drives us through internal and external conquests. Driven by innateness, some humans feel called to accomplish impossible feats. Think of the everyday people who got up one morning and decided that one day, they’d…

As exampled by the Pilgrims and the Indigenous people who graced the first Thanksgiving table, families in the United States gather each year to give thanks. The gateway to Christmas and Hanukkah, Thanksgiving sets the season’s tone. How appropriate to begin with thankfulness before gifting one another with Hanukkah or…

In the early days of diagnosis and the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, a caregiver is capable of sufficiently providing for their loved one. The person within their care is often able to continue as they always have. They keep up with regular hygiene, can dispense their own medications, bathe…

The act of giving thanks is good for the soul. In fact, gratefulness has been linked to happiness, according to Harvard Health Publishing. “Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity and build strong relationships,” the article noted. If being…

On Tuesday, the American people will elect the president of the United States, and unless you can see into the future, it’s impossible to know for sure who that will be. We can narrow it down to one of two, but even polls can’t predict who will emerge to serve…

“A cheerful heart is good medicine.” — Proverbs 17:22 You may recognize that verse, which is often paraphrased as “Laughter is good medicine.” And it is, though some would say that nothing about Alzheimer’s disease brings cheer — certainly nothing to make you laugh out loud. It would be very…