Pets of many kinds help entertain and bring a smile to the lips of Alzheimer’s patients.  I saw my mom develop an affinity for a cat and dog she never had before.  They became almost the center of her life.  When we had to move her to our home 275 miles from where she was living, we brought her cat.  This helped Mother adjust much better than if we’d found another home for Kitty.

When Mother lived at the nursing home, I saw how residents responded to the cats and dogs that visited on “pet day.”  Perhaps the animal reminded them of a pet they recently had.  Or it might bring back memories of a pet from childhood.

However, dogs can serve another purpose, as related at Alzheimer’s Weekly in She Changed Our Lives.  Here, Roberta Bienenfeld tells the story of Nyja, an Alzheimer’s Assistance Dog and how she has helped Jerry Alexander become more active again. 

This concept of Alzheimer’s Assistance Dogs is connected with Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) and enables the Alzheimer’s patient to be more independent and more animated (in a positive way).  Read Jerry and Jan Alexander’s story and learn how Nyja added brightness to an otherwise bleak future.  Nyja didn’t solve all Jerry’s challenges by any means, but enables him to be more mobile and for Jan to be less house bound.  They even went on an Alaskan cruise with Nyja. 

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

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Assistance Dogs for Alzheimer’s Patients

More caregivers and family members have become more open about this disease as it affects a family member or close friend.  They are willing to share and to seek information.  More resources have become available.

Why write?  I think my next poll will ask some questions on this topic.  So be thinking about it and vote, as well as leaving comments.

More Related Posts:

Finding the Joy in Alzheimer’s in Second Printing

Discussing Alzheimer’s on TV

Writing a Book for Children About Alzheimer’s

Liz’s Interview on Writing About Alzheimer’s

Carol O’Dell, Author of Mothering Mother

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Poll Results – Would You Write About Alzheimer’s?

Caring Today is written by experienced caregivers, provides practical advice and knowledge for familly caregivers. Articles and resources offer stress relief advice, expert opinions and a forum to discuss and ask questions.

Recent articles include ‘6 Ways to Bust a Bad Mood’ about dealing with caregiver blues, The Slipping Away Time about a son helping his mother face Alzheimer’s Disease, and When Caring Becomes Plural about a daughter caring for two ailing parents.

Articles and information is available at the Caring Today website. There is also a print magazine

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Alzheimer’s resources: Caring Today magazine and website.

Kathy is one such blogger. She started KnowItAlz while caring for her father who suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease. Reading Kathy’s blog is a little like reading a letter from home…she even provides you with a cast of characters so you always know who’s who.

I talked (via email) with Kathy the other day, asking her about blogging about Alzheimer’s.

Here’s what she has to say.

Kathy, what motivated you to start KnowItAlz?

When my mom died suddenly in 2004, my sisters and I decided that I was best equipped to care for Dad at home. It quickly became clear that he was not able to live by himself. My approach to getting him to move in with us was to just ask him if he would mind staying with us for a couple of weeks. Then we just eventually moved all of his things over, and he just transitioned into the move without ‘the talk’.

My goal as a caregiver is to provide a happy, stress free life for Dad, to preservie his pride and dignity, and search out the finest medical care available.

I started KnowItAlz so that I would be forced to think of at least one happy or funny thing every day. I feel that concentrating on the postive side of caregiving makes me a better daughter for my sweet Dad.

So tell us a little about the KnowItAlz blog.

I write a daily entry that shows the lighter (and sometime’s even ridiculous) side of caring for someone with dementia, and offers tips to caregivers. I am hoping to use my experiences as well as the experiences of others to make the caregivers that read the blog find the silver lining.

Here’s one such post:

When I Check out (June 23, 2007) Dad and I were at the grocery store this afternoon buying items for our big cookout. While in the checkout line, Dad noticed this week’s Newsweek magazine. The cover story is about caregiving and Alzheimer’s (a fantastic story by the way, if you haven’t read it).

He cracked us both up.

What do you personally get out of the KnowItAlz blog ?

I feel joy when reading comments from other caregivers that credit KnowItAlz for making them smile, or cheering them up. These are hard working, loving people that often have very few laughs.

And what keeps you blogging ?

I want people to know that an Alzheimer’s diagnosis is not the end of the world for the diagnosed person, or the caregiver. I want to show that even after 7 years into this disease, my Dad and I enjoy moments and memories we have left, and will go out fighting. And laughing.

So when you have free minute, stop by KnowItAlz and say hi to Kathy…

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Interview with a blogger…Kathy from KnowItAlz.com

Check out the other recipients of the award here…

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Alzheimer’s Association Web site wins 2007 Caregiver Friendly Award.

Or if you googled ‘Alzheimer’s blogs’ the you would find over 1,260,000 results.

That’s way to many for anyone to go through in search for information.

So, to make it easier, I thought I’d list some of my favorite ones:

The Mom & Me Journals – an account of one caregiver’s journey in dealing with Alzheimer’s Disease

The Tangled Neuron – information about Alzheimer’s and dementia in easy to read language

Sunshine and Descent - a son’s personal account of his fathers journey into Alzheimer’s disease

Caregiving, Aging, and Alzheimer’s – commentrary, personal experience, articles, resources,and book reviews

950 Miles Away - Alzheimer’s Disease and the long distance caregiver.

It’s easy to learn and understand the dynamics and science of Alzheimer’s disease. But it’s also very important to understand the human element. These blogs let us do that in a very personal way…

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Blogs about Alzheimer’s Disease.

“The other night the aide asked if I’d like to feed Mother [she could no longer feed herself].  They were amazed she ate so well for me.  Whether she was hungry, simply liked the food that night, or really did realize or sense someone familiar there is no way of telling.”

We also found that my suggestions about Mother’s likes and dislikes regarding food helpful.  One day Mother wouldn’t eat the pureed meat the aide was trying to feed her.  She clamped her lips shut. 

When I suggested the aide try the mashed potatoes, Mother opened her mouth for them, also the pureed pears that was her dessert.  I explained that Mother had never cared too much for meats, although she ate them.  She particularly liked mashed potatoes, peas, and squash.  And home canned fruit for dessert was commonly served when we lived on the farm.

Try to leave a list with caregivers the foods your family member particularly likes and dislikes.  This often will help when they don’t have much appetite.  I was amazed that Mother’s taste for foods remained until nearly her death.  She retained definite likes and dislikes.

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Alzheimer’s Caregiver’s Journal – Feeding Mother