Treading Dark Waters - a Column by Ray Burow

People in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease can exhibit unusual behavior, although altered behaviors can occur in the early stages, too. Caregivers might notice slight changes in personality that go unnoticed by someone less familiar with a person who has the disease. Cognitive impairment dampens thinking skills,…

Every three seconds, someone around the world develops dementia, and in the time it takes to count 65 Mississippis, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease. As the BrightFocus Foundation notes, approximately 6.5 million adults 65 and older are currently living with Alzheimer’s in the U.S.

Each morning arrives with a new set of choices. The average adult makes about 35,000 decisions a day, according to researchers at Cornell University, and more responsibility brings with it more decisions. I wonder how many decisions a caregiver faces each day. Pregnant women are often told…

You may not be aware that Bionews is a “leading online health, science, and research publication company” that, as described on its homepage, “exists to improve the lives of patients living with rare diseases.” Bionews columnists either have the disease they write about or they’re caregivers or family members.

I wish everyone a lovely Valentine’s Day, although for caregivers and their loved ones diagnosed with dementia, holidays look slightly different than they do for others. Caregiving takes up most of our time, and we inevitably fall into survival mode as yesterday blends into today, and…

Happy Black History Month! President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976 to celebrate the achievements and contributions of African Americans in the United States, though the observance had been developing for decades and in fact continues to develop. The month is a perfect…

On Jan. 26, my mother would have celebrated her 96th birthday. Oh, how I miss her. A woman of faith, my mother is in a far better place today — a city made without hands (Hebrews 11:10), sans Alzheimer’s disease. She “went home” in 2012, and I’ve thought…

How are your New Year’s resolutions coming along? Caregivers are some of the most resolved people, but resolutions can easily escape us. Maybe the goals we set are too lofty. Also, providing care for a loved one requires a lot of energy. So what type of resolution can a caregiver make?…

“No” is the easiest answer to any request. Unfortunately, it’s a caregiver’s go-to, perhaps especially when caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease. I often felt it necessary to tell my mother “no,” but now, I wish I’d said “yes” more often. My mother is in a better…

Years ago, a friend gave me invaluable advice. This friend had lost her father when her children were young. Like me, she was very close to her parents and valued her relationship with them. I asked her at the time how she was coping with losing her dear father, and…