Treading Dark Waters
— Ray Burow

There’s a lot unknown about Alzheimer’s disease, and many myths surround the mind-altering disease. It’s necessary to separate fact from fiction. As misnomers are addressed, it removes some of the stigmas attached to Alzheimer’s. Because knowledge is power, it delivers hope to people who fear developing the most common form…

Alzheimer’s disease isn’t curable — yet. However, we can all take precautions that may help to prevent it, and we should, since everyone is at risk of developing dementia. Dementia isn’t a natural part of aging, although age is a risk factor. The mind-altering disease can take a long…

Maybe you’ve noticed: There’s never a situation so dire that someone can’t make it worse by preying on desperate people. Think about it. The COVID-19 pandemic, the 9/11 attacks in the U.S., earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes — all of these tragedies have been exploited by someone willing to deceive kindhearted…

Football season has come to an end in the U.S., and for some of us, that’s good news. For others, not so much. I have a love-hate relationship with the game, and I have very little interest in it when my team isn’t on the field. By some folks’ estimation…

People from all walks of life and socioeconomic backgrounds are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Nearly 6 million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s, and according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, by the year 2060, that number is expected to…

Last Wednesday would have been my mother’s 94th birthday. While she wasn’t famous, she was an exceptional person before Alzheimer’s disease claimed her life, and she is the inspiration for this column. Of course, there was no guarantee that without Alzheimer’s she would have lived long enough to witness her…

Caregiving is strenuous, so if you’re a caregiver and haven’t started a physical exercise routine, don’t put it off any longer. Better yet, get your loved one started on a physical exercise program, too. Nobody needs another reminder about the benefits of exercise — they’re as common as TV…

New caregivers can easily become overwhelmed by their responsibilities. But all of us who are caregivers were also overwhelmed at the start of our own caregiving journeys. Daunting is an overused term, but it is the most descriptive word for caregiving newbies. It is daunting to learn the ropes, especially…

It’s impossible to know the future. We may have an idea of what’s on the horizon, but we can’t be sure of a year’s outcome until it’s dissipated. Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20, so as you stand on the precipice of a new year, is there anything you…

Christmas is designed around anticipation — and not just from a marketing standpoint. Sure, the holiday has become significantly commercialized. Still, many years ago, on a hillside near Bethlehem, following an appearance of angels, shepherds were led to Bethlehem in anticipation of a babe in a manger. With great expectation,…

Both dementia, specifically Alzheimer’s disease, and hearing impairment are most prevalent among seniors. In the United States, one in three people ages 65 to 74 is affected by hearing loss, while 3% of that demographic has Alzheimer’s. Hearing loss has also been associated with cognitive impairment and an…

Some dementias are reversible. Now, that’s something we don’t hear every day but need to, right? Unfortunately, the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, isn’t reversible, but it’s important to understand that not every dementia leads to the mind-altering and life-changing disease that up to 5.8 million Americans…