Tag: #dementiathrive

Years ago I worked at one of my favorite skilled nursing memory care units at Asbury Methodist in Gaithersburg, MD. It was a favorite because of its interdisciplinary team. Every two weeks, without fail we met as a team–the nutritionist, the nurse, me-activities, the social worker, a CNA, even the doctor and discussed the 35 residents in the unit. We focused on those mandated by Medicare for review, but we discussed any ongoing changes or needs we were seeing within our little community. It was in these team meetings that we learned more of the family’s history and we collaborated…

Wild roses, that is the scent that caught my nose today. The sweet smell of roses on the breeze. Stopping me in my tracks. Pushing pause on all the random agendas and thoughts streaming this morning.It was pure heaven.Of course I reveled in it–breathing deeply, smiling.Shaking off the tension that was building on the agendas of the day. For a bit.Then my brain started its meandering. First, the value placed on the scent of the perfume Mary massaged Jesus’ feet with. The shame Judas tried to place on her because of the value of the scent. Yet that is one…

October is a month of change. We have many months with change, but I think we particularly focus on Oct. whether in the South or the North. Shifting temps, snowbirds, leaf change–all peak in October. If you are like so many of us, music brings back memories. For me, I think of mountains and good times as an undergrad when I hear certain tunes. Maybe you have a fall set of tunes, flavors and smells. We are grooving to Pumpkin Spice Jazz on YouTube, with the smell of cinnamon streusel for back-up. The cool changes we once had with sailing…

This is a common refrain. A caregiver asks Dr. Cate for dementia guidance. I answer a specific question and then outline strategic plans they may want to consider. The response is always “We are not there yet.” The question to ask yourself is “where is there?” When your relationship is enough overwhelmed with brain change to ask for help—where are you? As a caregiver myself, I hear myself saying “not there yet”. This is an answer that comes from my desire to be anywhere but here—and my fear of there. It is my fear of financial struggle, and my fear…

Whether you are introvert, extrovert, caregiver or care recipient one variable that proves powerful in health research is social support. As the national and international discussion swirls around the dangers of the “lone wolf” the value of spending time with select others is reiterated. In Alzheimer’s research this has been particularly emphasized. Alzheimer’s caregivers who have social support report higher confidence in their caregiving and higher life satisfaction. Yet having been a family caregiver, I have experienced the drop-off of friends and family when I needed them the most. How do I gain or maintain social support in the face…