Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog

To Not Fade Away – A Review

I’m so glad the producers of To Not Fade Away asked me to review their film. Otherwise I would never have seen it, since it is not offered on my DTV plan. In Denver this wonderful RLTV video can only be seen on Comcast Channel 205.

Both my mother and my father suffered from dementia. While neither of them had Alzheimer’s disease, a fear of this particular form of dementia looms large for me as for many in my generation.  The older I get the more unsettling small moments of forgetfulness become. I believe that having solid factual information about Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia is vitally important for all of us at this stage of life. And it is equally important for children and loved ones of the elderly to know much …

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Retired Royalty

I first heard this poem read by the author on NPR radio back in June of 2011.  The words that the poet speaks are raw and true.  Listening to it brings tears to my eyes.  (Rated R for some strong language.)

The poet is Kane Smego who is a frequent participant in Poetry Slams and he is the Artistic Director of Sacrificial Poets, a Chapel Hill, NC group who’s mission is “To inspire, foster, and promote artistic expression, personal growth, and social justice for youth in our collective communities through the use of the spoken and written word.”

Below is the written transcript of the poem from the video.

Retired Royalty By: Kane Smego

There is a proverb from the Ashanti of Ghana that says: “The words from the mouth of an old …

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What is Your Favorite Memory?

This is the time of year for resolute looking forward.  But as Janus, the Roman god that gives January its name, shows us, looking forward also involves looking back.  Our stories about those who are ill  and those who have left us are an important part of what we carry with us into the unknown ahead.

We all benefit from one-another’s stories.  Fortunately it’s not too late to enter the Your Favorite Memory Contest.  Here’s a chance to memorialize your family and win prizes.

 

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Technorati Tags: aging, Alzheimer’s disease, caring for aging parents, family memories, family stories, Love, Your Favorite Memory Contest

November Holidays and Alzheimer’s

 

B-24 Liberator

Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving are the November holidays.  Many people see Veteran’s day as an extra day off or just another workday. Thanksgiving is about overeating and football, and the real holiday event is shopping on Black Friday.

This year, the November holidays are blending into memories.    This was triggered by an email we got from a regular reader.  She wants us to record memories and voices of Alzheimer’s people.    Audrey and Frank, Carol and Judi’s parents, both had dementia, but not Alzheimer’s.  Bernie, Audrey’s second husband, did have Alzheimer’s.  We weren’t direct caregivers but we saw the terrible progression of his disease.

Bernie was a WWII Veteran of the Eighth Air Force which had the highest casualty rate of any U. S. Army unit in the war.  He was …

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Ebooks for Caregivers of Alzheimer’s Patients

Reviewing Hope for Helpers and More Help for Helpers by Michael Byrd

Bill recently posted his response to Pat Robertson’s remarks on Alzheimer’s disease and caregiving.  Bill and many others have expressed another side of the caregiving experience in the wake of Robertson’s suggestion that a man should divorce his wife in advanced stages of the disease.  No one denies that caring for someone with dementia is a tough road, but caregivers know that the journey can bring us more than just pain and sacrifice.

Chaplain Michael Byrd has written two timely ebooks for caregivers who want to keep on caregiving and save their sanity.  Michael draws on his more than fifteen years experience working with elders and their caregivers to create these helpful companion electronic resources.

While he brings his generous spirituality to …

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