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.”

Family Caregivers Provide an Invaluable Service to Loved Ones

Following Thanksgiving, Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month both come to a close. Isn’t it interesting that caregivers are celebrated in the same month set aside to give thanks? It’s appropriate since the nation owes the men and women who provide unpaid care a…

What to Do When Scary Thoughts Overwhelm Family Caregivers

For caregivers, there are few things scarier than the thought of developing Alzheimer’s disease. We’re empathetic to our loved ones who have Alzheimer’s, yet every day, we face what could be our own future. We start thinking about our cognitive abilities and wonder, “Could this happen to me, too?”…

To Avoid Rapid Cognitive Decline, You Might Watch What You Eat

If your diet includes ultra-processed foods, “you are what you eat” may take on new meaning. By definition, ultra-processed foods have multiple ingredients that help to improve the taste. Ingredients often include food additives and processed raw materials, like modified starches and hydrogenated fats. These foods are “mainly of industrial…