Treading Dark Waters - a Column by Ray Burow

“It’s so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone.” — John Steinbeck, “The Winter of Our Discontent” The longer we live, the more loss we experience. It is a natural but uncomfortable part of life. Loss may manifest in diagnosis…

When my children were little, I would ask them to help me with the mundane but necessary tasks that came with everyday living. “Please do the dishes.” “Pick up your toys.” “Don’t forget to make your bed.” At the time, their dimpled, sometimes dirty, and pudgy little hands were far…

Remember when pink and white tissue paper was all you needed for a successful Valentine’s Day? The only thing that was more fun than transforming a shoebox into a colorfully decorated mailbox was the anticipation of how many paper hearts would be stuffed into it by classmates. Valentine’s Day isn’t…

In the early 1900s, Dr. Alois Alzheimer discovered the disease that bears his name today. Alzheimer had observed an unusual disease in one of his patients, a woman in her 50s who had memory loss and was plagued by disorientation and hallucinations, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International. She succumbed…

News of the coronavirus is spreading across the world like, well, a virus. In the U.S., people are bombarded with warnings about the dangers of the disease, which has claimed more than 100 lives in China. Confirmed cases have reached 6,000 as of Wednesday. The numbers could go higher.

Earlier this week, Americans celebrated the life and legacy of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Of his many inspiring speeches, King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is probably the most recognizable, striking a chord for equality in the hearts of Americans. King stood before a crowd of…

As the senior population increases, the need for long-term care also rises. Health Care Financing Review characterizes long-term care as “medical, personal, social, and psychological care over extended time periods.” In just 10 years, people 65 or older will account for one-fifth of the population in the United States,…

If you’re a frequent reader of Alzheimer’s News Today and my column, “Treading Dark Waters,” you are undoubtedly aware of how often we stress the importance of early detection as it applies to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. A disturbing perception Doctors sometimes fail to inform patients about a dementia…

“I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.” —Harlan Miller For many people, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. The hustle and bustle of shopping for the perfect present, the ringing of silver bells,…

A record number of people are expected to travel this holiday season. The travelers will undoubtedly include familial caregivers journeying with loved ones who have dementia. These are courageous individuals, perhaps seeking one last hurrah before Alzheimer’s disease prevents them from traveling to faraway destinations. Taking a trip with…