They say Alzheimer’s is a series of goodbyes. And It’s true.  I have said goodbye to so many things I had with Mom. What has been a surprise is that the very last goodbye has been harder than I ever expected.

I said goodbye to Mom knowing who I was on my 51st birthday. Then I said goodbye to understanding her conversations late last year. Finally, I said goodbye to walking in the regional park, watching kids at the swimming pool, or even going out to eat.

What I didn’t expect, and surprisingly wasn’t ready for was to say goodbye on March 31st, 2020. Mom lived in the memory care residence for 3 years and 2 weeks. Both my sister and I thought she’d be there a lot longer. A whole lot longer.

Many people have asked me if she died from the Covid-19 virus. The answer to that is no. She died from Alzheimer’s disease. I have her death certificate and her official cause of death is not eating or drinking for 2 days caused by Alzheimer’s.

In this episode, you'll hear from Laura (oldest grandkid), her Fading Memories son-in-law, and a really, long time friend. I hope you enjoy this special tribute.

Another episode about Mom
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How could I resist a humble fundraising assistance request? When it comes from a young man that wants to cure Alzheimer's, I couldn't. Instead of just resharing posts on Instagram, we created this bonus episode.

In this bonus episode, I talk to Akum Dhillion. He is a young man who was inspired by his Grandmother to go into Alzheimer's research. When he reached out to me to ask for assistance boosting his Instagram account, I asked if he would also like a bonus episode. Of course, he said yes.

I think you'll really enjoy this short, heartwarming story about a young person wanting and succeeding at making a difference. At the tender age of 12, Akum decided he was going to cure Alzheimer's.

What's an Alzheimer's podcast to do but help?

Your donation supports vital research, programs, and resources for those living with Alzheimer's. Akum is working with the Virginia chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.   They are the world's largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer's research.

Some of the things the Alzheimer's Assoc. funds are: Care & Support. They work nationally & locally to provide care & support for those affected by Alzheimer's & other dementias. As the largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer's research. The association is committed to advancing vital research towards methods of treatment, prevention, and ultimately, a cure.

Finally, and this is where Akum & I play a part, The Association is the leading voice for Alzheimer's disease advocacy. The Association advocates for critical Alzheimer's research and care initiatives at the state and federal level
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Why We Walk – Alzheimer's Fundraising

 

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Being able to feed our brains while on the go is enough challenge. Doing so in a healthy way is even more so. This podcast episode talks about healthy brain nutrition and a new product that makes on-the-go brain health eastier.

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Caregiving has enough challenges. Adding in our new challenges due to the Covid-19 virus is almost too much. I've been checking in with past guests to see how they're coping. This episode is with Richard Creighton. He was one of two guests on the Caregiver Grief episode.

Richard is caring for his wife Kate. Our conversation details how the Shetler-in-place mandates are affecting their daily life. Both he and Kate are handling the changes well, However, drastic changes in daily life for someone living with Alzheimer's isn't ideal.

Kate has had changes that may or may not be related to the changes they're experiencing. Kate is in the very advanced stages of Alzheimer's so it's impossible to know what changes are related to the disease and which are to changes in daily life.

Even when this crazy time of sheltering-in-place and social distancing is over, these techniques will still be relevant. Caregivers need as many strategies as possible whether it's normal day-to-day caring or caring during this Covid-19 crisis.

Useful Episode on Caregiver Stress-Reducing Techniques (they worked!)

Richards Blog (Great reading!)
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Most of us see a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s as the beginning of a journey that will be filled with frustration, sadness and possibly worse. There are very few positive stories we can read. But, what if, just by the way we approach caring for our loved one we can actually help keep their mind stimulated?

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