As a senior housing consultant, one of the most difficult requests that I get is from couples, who are “differently-abled” but want to continue living together. In these couples, one spouse has dementia and the other is acting as caregiver. Many of these couples would benefit from moving into a retirement/assisted living community. Regardless, the couple that…
A Love Story
By Susan Thaxton It was 3:00 in the afternoon when the call came in. The caller asked me to meet a police officer at a private residence where I would be introduced to Jim. It seems that 85-year-old Jim and his wife, 89-year-old Sarah, were well known to the police department. Sarah had advancing dementia…
The Village Where People Have Dementia – and Fun
[This is a summary of an article appearing in The Guardian newspaper on August 27, 2012. To read the complete article, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/aug/27/dementia-village-residents-have-fun] In the unassuming small Dutch town of Weesp, half an hour southeast of Amsterdam, you’ll find Hogewey, a pioneering institution that has developed an innovative, humane and apparently affordable way of caring…
Trusting the Stranger in Your House
When seniors remain at home with non-family caregivers there are many concerns to address. Are they safe? Is the caregiver trustworthy? Last week one of our clients, whose husband has advanced dementia, decided to keep him at home as long as she could. This is very admirable. However, she is still working so she needs…
Dementia with a Twist – A Novel
Those of you who like to read novels might enjoy an excellent one that we just finished. Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante is written in the voice of Dr. Jennifer White, a retired surgeon and mother, whose dementia increases throughout the book. It is a murder mystery with real meaning for those of us who know…
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