By: Emily Bennett, Kenmore Thanksgiving 2020Thanksgiving after a year of loss, loss for the world outside and loss for me. My husband’s dementia has increased and the man who was once chief of staff, wrote four books and was often an after-dinner speaker at events cannot use his cell phone, follow a program on TV or remember his grandchildren. He is also declining physically in … Continue reading Giving Thanks: We Count Our Blessings
For the second year in a row, Emi Takayama is leading a team for the Pacific Northwest Walk to End Alzheimer’s. She walks in honor of her paternal grandmother, Megumi Takayama, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 65. Emi grew up with no concept of who her grandmother was before she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. “My earliest memory of grandma’s … Continue reading Creating a Better Future: Why I Walk
By: Rita Carlson Learning about the Walk to End Alzheimer’s It is my privilege and honor to be a part of the Alzheimer’s Association’s North Idaho Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Coeur d’Alene for the third year in a row. My mother moved to Coeur d’Alene in 2019, and I happened to see a flyer at her memory care community. I asked the staff if I … Continue reading For My Amazing Mother: Why I Walk
By: Erika Roden My name is Erika Roden. I am the middle child, my mom was a single mom of me and my two sisters. I am from Everett, WA and currently live in Arlington, WA with my husband Scott and our two daughters, Kirsten and Rebecca. I participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in honor of my mother who has early-onset dementia and … Continue reading Honoring Mom and Dad: Why I Walk
A couple of months ago when it was clear Liz needed hospice care, there was no question Rick and I would be there for her, even though neither of us had any hospice experience. The pandemic turned out to be a blessing in my situation as it allowed me to work from home, so we set up mom (on what was to be her “deathbed”) adjacent to my home office. Continue reading Mom’s Greatest Gift: Life lessons from a pandemic, dementia and a supportive work family
I always knew about the Alzheimer’s Association, but I found about The Longest Day this summer through VolunteerMatch. For The Longest Day, I will be selling clothes on the Depop app in honor of my grandfather who is living with dementia. Continue reading Thrifting for good: The Longest Day
Caregivers are supporting elders who have experiences shaped by their cultural values and practices, family traditions and the lessons and wisdom of their own elders; they share their lessons, words of wisdom and experiences with their children whispered in their native language, through the foods they serve and the views of life through religious and spiritual traditions. Continue reading Cultural Barriers to Care
The inspiration for this project was that I wanted to do something a little outside of the box for an Eagle Scout project, as well as to honor my grandmas. Continue reading Eagle Scout honors grandmas with service project
The holidays are often a joyous time, but they can also be overwhelming, especially for families affected by Alzheimer’s or dementia. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic adds new challenges, especially for older adults who may have underlying health conditions and are at the greatest risk of complications due to the novel coronavirus. Continue reading Navigating dementia and COVID-19 this holiday season
There are a lot of other words that I could use to describe this disease, but I think this is the one I lean on the most. It’s impossible to encompass all the emotions I have about it in one word. Completely impossible. Continue reading This is difficult: Why I Walk
