I was listening to a resident regale tales of her earlier years in New York. She loved and had a strong background in theater, and knew exactly how to enthrall an audience. On that afternoon, in between group activities, I was hers, and I marveled in each recounting of a long ago version of herself- …
Boatloads of Shame
Dementia patients often exhibit "challenging behaviors." I hear this phrase often and it gets under my skin. It reminds me of other phrases like “she was a strong-willed child” (not speaking from experience or anything) or “there were a lot of big personalities in that group.” Just for this blog post, let’s call it what it …
Dementia Care and Meals: creating new memories and putting old habits on the chopping block
During a personal low point a couple of years ago, I went home to visit my parents. I was really craving one thing: my Mom's cooking. My parents grow some of their own vegetables and herbs, and both of them are GREAT cooks. I pulled up to their home Friday evening and walked in to …
Free Golf Cart Rides Around the Hippocampus
Have you ever been annoyed at a song being “overplayed?” I’m guilty of self-infliction on this one. I’ll find a song I really love, put it on repeat and listen to it until I’m waking up humming it. Before long, I can listen to the song without even hearing it at all. I miss entire …
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Lemon Poundcake and Reality Orientation
I knocked on a resident’s door to invite her to an activity. She was awake, lying diagonally across her bed, propped up on her elbow. Three cups of coffee in, I was obnoxiously energetic, and bounded in to sit on the edge of her bed. "What are you up to?” I asked. She smiled, but …
meet me yesterday 