Q: How did the book, which chronicles your mother’s Alzheimer’s disease, come to be?
A: I started journaling and writing down what happened every time we were together. [I asked] what is good about this situation and where are the gifts and blessings? How can I stay connected with my mom through this journey?
Q: How is the book a tool?
A: I’ve had people tell me that it’s given them insight into what happens when a person in a family has Alzheimer’s and what the family goes through. We once had an opportunity to read to nurses and long-term care administrators. They laughed at a lot of different places because it was true. I was a long-term care administrator years ago. It was one of my earliest careers. I had an administrator’s viewpoint then.
Q: Did this influence how you felt about your mother’s care?
A: Yes. I understood there would be moments when things aren’t perfect. I learned a lot from other families and staff. I felt really lucky in that people who were caring for my mom were loving, connected people. They loved my mom for who she was. They see, “Here is a lovely woman with silvery hair who laughs when I walk into the room.” That helped me: Long-term care staff sees your loved one as they are right now.
“Love in the Land of Dementia” will be released Nov. 12.
From the November 01, 2013 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News