Treading Dark Waters - a Column by Ray Burow

happiness, breast cancer, death, secret, disaster preparedness, support

As a former caregiver to an elderly parent who had Alzheimer’s disease, Florida-based Ray counts it a privilege to write columns discussing the day-to-day challenges associated with the onslaught of memory loss. Fighting a relentless foe, caregivers find themselves in the deep trenches, right alongside their loved ones. Her goal is to assist the caregiver on their journey by encouraging them to keep trudging through the mire of uncertainty. “I will be your harbinger of better days to come, so that you’ll know it’s possible to make it through the dark hours, and that even a difficult journey through Alzheimer’s disease can be punctuated with optimism. May you find joy on your journey.”

Alzheimer’s Caregivers Often Fear Contracting the Disease

A wise man once said, “No one by worrying can add one inch to their height.” Constantly worrying about acquiring an admittedly horrible disease may be useless, but it also is common practice for caregivers. Our intimate involvement in the daily processes of a disease, and seeing how it affects…

Anticipating Summer Solstice in Support of Alzheimer’s Funding

It helps to have something on the back burner, something to anticipate in the days, weeks, and months ahead. We need something on which to place our concentration, other than COVID-19. Summer solstice is that thing. Not the day so much, but the annual event surrounding it. Alzheimer’s Association Continues…

More Telemedicine Is a Good Thing

Turning our attention away from the all-intrusive pandemic (at least from the primary topics surrounding COVID-19), it’s good to take a minute from the turmoil of the virus to engage with something positive. The continual waves of uncertainty that drive COVID-19 may leave something positive in the disease’s painful…

Carrying On, with Empathy

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” — Anonymous If you’re like a lot of people, the COVID-19 pandemic is the first thing that comes to mind when you awaken, and possibly the last penetrating thought before bedtime. Though we tire of its bad news, we can’t turn away. Like…

How Caregivers Can Protect Their Loved Ones from Coronavirus

Caregivers are on the front line in the fight against the new coronavirus. We aren’t facing it down the same way as medical professionals and researchers are, but we are among the enlisted. Seniors and those with compromised immune systems have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, according to the…