The Art of Alzheimer’s began as a celebration of my mother, Jean McFee Raichle. Living with mid-stage Alzheimer’s and devastated by the death of Robert, her husband and best friend of 72 years, she found solace in an Elderwise® painting class. While she hadn’t painted since childhood, her paintings were mesmerizing—enabling her to express her… Continue reading An announcement from The Art of Alzheimer’s
Distilled to her essence. As I reread my accounts of living in the moment with Mom, I am struck by her enduring sense of humor. This is from August 6, 2014. She was 95, with late-stage Alzheimer’s and very, very funny. We sit down for our Scrabble game with my usual opening gambit. … Continue reading Distilled to her essence
Last week I was swimming with dolphins. I wasn’t in a pool. I was wearing a VR headset. It was amazing. Dolphins all around me. I looked to my right to see one edging closer to get a better look at me. Not alarming. Quite restful. And really, really fun. People ask me how we are… Continue reading VR for Memory Loss and Dementia
When I am stressed, overworked and beset by deadlines of every kind, I head to Assisted Living and the comfort of real time. This tends to confound my friends who think that such a visit would only add to my stress, but I find it to be not only peaceful and relaxed but one of… Continue reading A relaxing, joyful visit to Assisted Living
Recently I had had some disturbing conversations with some very good friends. They were discussing their discomfort with a mother or father experiencing dementia. Equally disturbing, I was unable to give them comfort or hope and if not hope, at least a reason to continue to try. Her mind is gone There is no one… Continue reading Staying connected
