Practice for Developing Alzheimer’s: Part I-Embracing Senior Moments Stan Goldberg November 18, 2019 Aging, Alzheimer’s/dementia6 Commentsbest rated beverage refrigeratorsWhy should you practice living with an illness as dreadful as Alzheimer’s? Because, according to NIH statistics, one-in-ten people over 65 will develop this most common form of dementia, and by 85-years-of-age, one-third of us will be struck.
Depression? Four Simple “Non-Therapy” Strategies to Reduce It Stan Goldberg March 28, 2016 Aging, Alzheimer’s/dementia, Cancer, Caregiving, Chronic illness, End of Life, Grieving and Recovery, Life4 CommentsThere are more things that can cause depression as we age. I can’t run as fast or as far as I did ten years ago, my weight only fluctuates upward, I take more time to process information, and I feel under...
Alzheimer’s/Dementia Part III: How to Speak Dementia-Thought of the Day Stan Goldberg February 6, 2015 Alzheimer’s/dementia, Thoughts of the DayWho would think there is anything humorous about Dementia? Most people who experience it or their caregivers wouldn't. But humor and improvisation may be a key element to reducing anxiety and creating joy for...
Alzheimer’s and Dementia (Part II): 5 Strategies for Recreating the Rules for Living. Thought of the Day Stan Goldberg February 4, 2015 Alzheimer’s/dementia, Thoughts of the Day3 CommentsIn part one of this weekly series, I discussed some myths and facts about Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. I stressed the most alarming memory problems have less to do with names and events, and more...
Alzheimer’s and Dementia (Part I): What It Is and What It Isn’t. Thought of the Day Stan Goldberg February 2, 2015 Alzheimer’s/dementia, Thoughts of the Day8 CommentsAlzheimer's: it's becoming a less distant illness and something directly touching us. If a friend or relative doesn't have it or had it, it's just a matter of time before someone you know will. Unfortunately,...
A Dementia Model for Health Care Stan Goldberg November 19, 2014 Alzheimer’s/dementia, Thoughts of the Day11/10/14 In the Netherlands a village for people living with dementia was structured based on their needs and limitations. The result was a safe place for people to live until they died. The idea of...
When You Really Screw Up Stan Goldberg November 19, 2014 Alzheimer’s/dementia, Thoughts of the Day06/27/14 Last night I went to an intimate dinner-concert to hear my favorite shakuhachi player. When I sat next to a couple I bubbled over with praise for his virtuosity on the shakuhachi. They looked...
Alzheimer’s: Awareness Isn’t Enough Stan Goldberg March 22, 2012 Alzheimer’s/dementia14 Comments“If we just could increase awareness,” some of my friends with Alzheimer’s say, “funding would rise and the illness could be eventually controlled or eliminated.” I wish it was that...
Of Course You Remember Stan Goldberg July 7, 2011 Alzheimer’s/dementia, Poems27 CommentsOf course you remember she says. It was your sixtieth, and we came from across the country to express our love. I don’t remember, I say. But you do remember she says. We ordered your favorite Indian...
It’s Only Alzheimer’s, Not the Bloody Plague! Stan Goldberg July 7, 2011 Alzheimer’s/dementia33 CommentsA friend recently said to me, “When our friends learned I had Alzheimer’s, many looked at me as if I had some kind of contagious disease. Then, they just stopped calling or coming around. Don’t they know it isn’t the bloody plague?”
The Zen of Eating Cream of Wheat: A Journey Into Dementia Stan Goldberg November 10, 2010 Alzheimer’s/dementia9 CommentsAs a bedside hospice volunteer in San Francisco, I always have the choice of whether or not to accept an assignment. Some, I immediately know are right for me, such as sitting with a man my age who was estranged from his family and desperately wanted to reconnect with them. With others, especially those with advanced Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, I occasionally question whether the assignment makes sense—but not anymore.
When the Ground Shakes: A Need for Structure Stan Goldberg July 28, 2009 Aging, Alzheimer’s/dementiaI was concerned when I came home and couldn’t find my mother. The back of the house has a steep incline off the deck that leads to a forested area. When I saw that the gate leading down the stairs was open, concern turned to panic.