Think you have to exercise at the gym or walk a mile every day to prevent Alzheimer’s disease? Think again - One of my great-grandmothers lived to 96.  She was active, gardening until the summer before she passed.  When her grandchildren came to visit, she would go out and polish the chrome fenders on their cars. And I’m sure her house was spotless.  She never had any signs of Alzheimers disease or another dementia.  She told her family she never felt old until she was 90, remaining in good health until she passed. Recent medical studies show you probably don’t have to jog... (Read More ...)

With the tenth anniversary of 9/11, many folks are reflecting on the events of those days. When the 9/11 attack hit, my family and I were in shock. We watched in horror with the nation as events unfolded.  And ended up turning the TV news off.  It was too stressful.  The local news was worse.  It either was preempted by the national events or focused on the possibilities of terror attacks locally. Not helpful. Now a new study shows that watching the 9/11 attacks live in 2001 increased stress.  No surprise, right? Although it is interesting to see the medical literature studying this earnestly. ... (Read More ...)

Deciding where someone with Alzheimer’s should live can be difficult. The decision for nursing home or live in for Alzheimer s patient may be the hardest decision you make.  Unfortunately because Alzheimers disease is progressive, the decision may need to be reviewed periodically as the disease advances.  It can be stressful if you don’t know where to look for information.  Marie and John’s situation changed as his disease progressed. Initially Marie cared for her husband John at home.  Both in their 60s when John’s doctor diagnosed Alzheimer’s Disease, John and... (Read More ...)

When struggling for what to say in a sympathy card is humor the answer? Laughter can be a coping mechanism to deal with deep emotional pain. As part of my eighth grade history class we listened to audio recordings of the Nuremberg Trials. To me it was a sad serious time.  From the back of the class giggles erupted. Oh, not from the girls.  Who then?  The boys including some big strong athletes. Eventually the teacher stopped the presentation asking if anyone knew what was funny.  When no one volunteered any information, he offered his own explanation. He explained that sometimes when we are... (Read More ...)

When you’re dealing with someone who’s negative, it can be exhausting. And when it’s a parent, it’s often worse.  You want your parent to be loving and kind.  Unfortunately sometimes aging and disease change people. After Margaret’s husband died, she moved in with her daughter Janet. Janet knew her mother was negative at times.  Until she lived with Margaret as an adult, Janet had no idea how negative her mother was.  Janet felt no matter what she did, it wasn’t good enough for Margaret.  It made living with Margaret difficult and stressful for Janet. Janet... (Read More ...)

Urgent or important? They often compete for your precious time.  Charles Hummel noted this over 40 years ago in his little book “Tyranny of the Urgent!”  In it he describes the conflict between activities that are urgent and those that are important.  And how often the urgent one wins. In business it could be the urgent request of your boss or a client preventing you from completing a project on time. The urgent tying your time – and your schedule – in knots. And in caregiving? Many things can tie your schedule in knots, taking up your precious time and energy.  Mary... (Read More ...)

One of the hardest things to know is what to say in a sympathy card. Writing a card is hard when you’re upset or grieving.  Or maybe you’re in shock from an unexpected loss. When I practiced medicine, sometimes the office sent a sympathy card to grieving family members.  Knowing what to say was often hard. It can be challenging to know what to say without offending anyone.  You know what? It’s important to do it anyway.  You’re offering comfort to a grieving person.  And sometimes that’s all you can do. A sympathy card is often thought of as old fashioned or just... (Read More ...)

Do you know how hard it is for family caregivers to decide between a nursing home and living at home for an Alzheimer’s patient? Of all the decisions family caregivers face, often the decision about a nursing home is one of the hardest. When Joyce and Jan decided their father needed to go into an Alzheimer’s wing for safety, they worried. They worried they were making the right decision.  They also worried if their parents would agree. Joyce and Jan struggled with the decision, making themselves physically sick with worry. In the case of Alzheimer’s disease making the move to... (Read More ...)

Play AudioPlay Video How To Knit Videos: What Is an Easy Knit Cast On For Beginners? Wondering how to cast on easily and quickly? Or maybe you’d like to just have options for your cast ons? Why should knitters have more than one way to cast on? Some yarns work better with one cast on over another. Some first rows are easier with one cast on over another. Sometimes you want a certain look to the cast on edge. Sometimes you just feel like a different cast on or a pattern calls for a certain one. Sometimes “just because” without any other reason. An easy cast on is to simply knit... (Read More ...)