I learned slowly and gently to coax the bag lady out of the darkness, listen to her message for me, respond differently to older people, and deal with the fear and dread of my own aging.
20 Reasons Why We Need to Know the Early Life History of People Living With Dementia
1. The human right of all people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia is to be with people who know their life story including cultural habits and religious faith (Bell & Troxel, 2003). 2. Developing friendships, relationships, and trust with people with dementia is the foundation of person-directed care (Bell & […]
From “Faking Normal” to Living a New One
Her public voice began with a 2016 essay, when Harvard MBA and former World Bank employee and retail business CEO Elizabeth White decided to come out of the shadows to describe her post–Great Recession situation of living on the edge of economic survival: the loss of job prospects, the depletion of retirement savings in order […]
I Love You for What You ALMOST Are, Person-Centeredness.
I am worried. This is not surprising, as I tend to be somewhat of a worrywart. This is a quality I inherited from my grandmother and my mother, and I have worked really hard to perfect it. I like to think that worry can sometimes serve a useful purpose. For me, when worry festers, when […]
7 Kinds of Therapy I Don’t Want When I’m Living With Alzheimer Disease
People living with dementia are stigmatized in multiple ways, one of which is treating the activities the rest of us do for pleasure as “therapies.” My view is that we need to ditch the word therapy, and provide activities that engage, activate and enhance life as an integral part of care.
Growing Old Is A Joke: An Interview with Eric Decetis
Humor is good for the mind, body and soul, particularly as we age. Internationally renowned cartoonist Eric Decetis “makes fun” of growing older and inspires us to (not) act our age.
Rethinking Aging
As an undergraduate student, I was inspired to become a gerontologist after learning about the 1976 research study in which psychologists Ellen Langer and Judith Rodin investigated the effects of choice and enhanced personal responsibility for the aged, which resulted in a groundbreaking study on the impact of loneliness on seniors. They selected two floors of a […]
Beyond Being Known: Being Celebrated
Residents are well known at Carol Woods Retirement Community. But there is a difference between being well known and being celebrated. Residents, employee and family care partners of the Building 6 and 7 assisted living neighborhood at Carol Woods are striving toward the latter. Kay, a resident, explains: We want to be, not a family, […]
