Thanksgiving evolved into different types of celebrations as Mother developed Alzheimer’s.  No matter how we celebrated, I was thankful we could be with her and bring her joy.
*At first, Jim and I traveled the 275 miles to her home to enjoy a day or two with her.  Occasionally other family members joined us.  Friends and family might stop by after dinner.
*We moved Mother to our home in January.  She wasn’t here until the following Thanksgiving because she needed the additional care she could receive at a nursing home.
*There we would join her for a special Thanksgiving dinner at the dining …read more

Liz gave some very helpful information in her post, Northwest Airlines Assist Those With Alzheimer’s Disease. My mother traveled alone, actually her first airline flight ever, when she was in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s.  We didn’t realize at the time that’s what it was, but knew she was somewhat forgetful.  However, she made it to her destination and return trip.  Even changing planes in Chicago! 
              
 However, attendants assisted her after a family member got her to the plane  Then she was met by a wheelchair attendant and transported that way to her connection.  I marvel now, as I travel through busy …read more

Mother would sit in her rocking chair beside the kitchen stove reading the newspaper, a magazine or a book as she rested between chores on the farm.  The sink might be piled with dirty dishes, the kitchen table needed to be set for supper. A basket of clothes should be sorted or ironing done.  A kitten poked its head from beneath the stove.  Old Shep lay at her feet.   
Mother looked around, “I know.  There’s work to do.  But it will always be there.  And I won’t always have time to read.”
It was frustrating for a teenager and later a young married woman when …read more

Here’s a video well worth watching. Filmed by the grandson of an Alzheimer’s patient, it show the face of Alzheimer’s disease in a humorous, factual, and heart touching way.

Visit the Living Through Windows…Alzheimer’s disease to learn about the residents of Third Phillips ward on the third floor of the Grand Islands Veteran Home in Nebraska. This ward is home to veterans suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The website showcases their stories, as well as the stories of the families, the caregivers, and the staff.
Created by Mike Bockoven and Scott Kingsley, Living Through Windows is a fantastic and moving multimedia presentation profiling the patients, families, and staff at Third Phillips.

As holidays and special family days occur, I often find my thoughts going back to the traditions my mother established and want to pass these along to my daughter and grandchildren.  The fact that Mother had Alzheimer’s the last few years of her life and couldn’t remember nor participate, doesn’t render useless all she taught us and the traditions she established or passed along from her heritage.
Halloween brings to mind the encouragment Mother gave us and her enjoyment in this occasion.  She often stitched together costomes for us four children.  (Where she found time in her busy life as a …read more

“You’re going to interview me?” Mother asked with a smile as she settled into her chair.
“Yes, Mother,” I replied, taking out my notebook and pen.  Then we sat for nearly an hour while Mother reminisced and I jotted down notes about her childhood, her teaching years in a one-room schoolhouse, and stories of various relatives.
I realize now that in doing this, listening to the memories of an Alzheimer’s patient, I helped preserve our family legacy.  If Mother hadn’t become afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease, would she and I have taken time to escape into the past?
Don’t get annoyed with your family …read more