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By Bill September 22nd, 2011
Pat Robertson
Pat Robertson made an astounding comment on his TV show last week. His comment came in response to a caller who said that a friend had begun dating other women while his wife lies seriously ill with Alzheimer’s, and justifies it by saying that “his wife, as he knows her, is gone.”
Robertson said he agrees with the man: “What he says basically is correct. I know it sounds cruel, but if he’s going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but make sure she has custodial care and somebody looking after her.”
His co-host pressed Robertson about whether that violates the marriage vows. Robertson responded that Alzheimer’s “is a kind of death” and added, “I certainly wouldn’t put a guilt trip on you” for …
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By Carol September 18th, 2011
The folks at Online Degree love to research. Recently their top staff writer Anna Miller contacted us with some research they have done on well known Alzheimer’s disease patients. We thought we’d share it with you. My skills are not advanced enough to correct some of the formatting problems resulting from my copy and paste approach, but if you want to see the original work, click the following link:
10 Famous People Who Battled Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease is a tragic condition that steals the mental abilities of its victims, keeping them from recognizing things and people they once loved and isolating them in their own world. Researchers have been trying to figure out the mysterious disease for years, but so far, there is no cure. More than 5 million Americans have the …
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By Bill July 7th, 2011
Last week Carol and I were on our way to a talk on caregiving for windows. We have an older house with steel casement windows that need repair, painting, and weatherproofing. Most window experts cringe at the thought of approaching a steel casement window. So we were glad to learn that this expert would attempt to address the issue.
On the way, we were on a one way street with a 30 MPH speed limit. We were going 35, and traffic was roaring past us. As we approached a busy cross street, we heard a loud thunk in front of us. Several bystanders ran to help, as it was apparent there were injuries. We picked our way through the debris (lots of books) and went on.
I was struck that in an instant on …
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By Bill June 23rd, 2011
Pain
July 1 is the first anniversary of Frank’s death. He was the father of my wife Carol, her brother Jim, and their sister Judi. They lost their mother Audrey in September 2009. Frank was in assisted living here in Denver for the last two years of a long life. He died at 91. Audrey was in a nursing home in Judi’s home town of Boise when she died at age 89. They were the last of their generation.
Carol, Judi, and I witnessed the difficult last years of their lives. Both had dementia to some degree. Audrey was confined to a wheelchair due to severe osteoporosis, and Frank took slow, deliberate six inch steps with a walker. Each had other illnesses and a great deal of pain.
Audrey’s spine was deformed, and …
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By Carol June 21st, 2011
One of our readers Celina Jacobson recently shared these links to some fascinating TED videos on aging. Dad would have been especially interested in viewing Dan Buettner’s report on living to be at least 100.
10 Fascinating TED Talks on Aging
Many cultures today unfortunately dismiss the elderly because of the diseases and infirmities that settle in as time marches forward. But, as with all things, there exists a very precise, very unique science behind why everything — most especially biological matter — eventually ages and dies. Understanding the various corners behind this inevitable phenomenon marks the first step in combating many of the oft-debilitating conditions associated with growing old. Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes and more could eventually fade to nothing someday thanks to the painstaking research by innovative professionals. Although the following TED Talks …
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