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Romance, Alzheimer’s, and the Alchemy of Ritual
I recently marked the third anniversary of my husband’s death. He had Alzheimer’s. These days, I find myself looking back through photographs, journal entries, notes I made in the margins of my cookbooks, and the birthday and anniversary cards we gave each other over the years. The passing of time has shaped my vision of…
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Dementia Podcast Shortlisted for 2025 International Women’s Podcast Award
I’m a Finalist! What does my dementia caregiving podcast have in common with a CNN podcast? Or a podcast on ABC Radio? A Stak podcast about ballet’s underbelly? The National Prison Radio podcast? A North Carolina podcast on the NPR network? Stanford’s storytelling project podcast? And a podcast on the BBC? Out of almost 700…
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How Did I Survive the Caregiving Journey? Truth, Strength, and Walter Cronkite
I grew up listening to Walter Cronkite. He signed off each nightly newscast with “And that’s the way it is.” As a kid, I was often alarmed by the news. But I reasoned that if Walter Cronkite respected me enough to tell me the truth, surely that meant I could handle it. Yes, my reasoning…
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A Summer Solstice Ritual Inspired by My Dying Husband
My husband died in the summer of 2022. He had Alzheimer’s. We had been married for 41 years. I cared for him at home until the end. Ours was what family and friends called a fairy tale marriage. Odd as it might sound at first, his dementia journey and my experience as his caregiver…
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The Dilemma of Dementia and Driving: Taking away the keys?
Your spouse has Alzheimer’s. You know he – or she – shouldn’t be driving. When you bring up the subject, you hear some version of, “That’s ridiculous! I know how to drive a car.” He might be right. He might still know how to drive a car. The problem is that he shouldn’t be driving…
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“I Didn’t See It Coming” – Interview with LBD caregiver Mary Lou Falcone
Mary Lou Falcone became a caregiver when her father had a massive stroke. She was 10 years old. The experience prepared her for the day, many years later, when her husband, illustrator and 1950s rocker Nicky Zann, was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). In her memoir, I Didn’t See It Coming: Scenes of Love,…
