YouTube Videos

Do you have a YouTube account and subscription?  I found out I do. Google helped connect all of my blogging and Facebook and Google Plus and so at the top of this Google dashboard is a YouTube tab. I can manage subscriptions so new YouTube videos come on my email. Oh my goodness! I also have YouTube on my iPhone! I can hear and see videos on Alzheimer's that my husband doesn't see during a school planning period instead of listening from our den computer. (I really do not want him to worry about his Alzheimer's by hearing a YouTube video at home. I keep his life as calm as possible.)

Singer Amy Grant's father has dementia and she put out a warm YouTube video called Amy Grant's Three Caregiving Tips here. Very nice.

Author Linda Born is one of the first books I reviewed here. Now Linda has just announced her YouTube videos on her book and I went there and subscribed. Two videos are out and my subscription will alert me by email when more are out.

Week One: Hold to Hope 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh-oxFRx8s8

Week Two: Steps to Take As a New Caregiver

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DacNj8ExYFQ

This promises to be a great series. Thanks, Linda.  

One video here is on Alzheimer's Coaching and Remembering4You. I got that link on Joe's blog and I was the first to subscribe on YouTube.

But wait! I am now on YouTube!!!!

I write on the board

MC AC raps at the end of good classes.

Yes, I now have a new YouTube channel for my raps thanks to my Alabama high tech family. Nine raps were video taped several months ago and are coming out this summer on three YouTube videos (three raps per video).

When do I rap? For several years I have practiced  my raps during the last five minutes at the end of every on-task class when I susbsitute teach in middle school and high school. It takes sometimes months to write a rap and currently I am working on more raps.  Right now there is a wonderful YouTube commercial for the raps of MC AC The Rap Lady.

How was this name chosen? My niece and nephew decided on this name. I guess MC is for Ms. Carol and AC is for Aunt Carol. They have always referred to me as AC.

How did I have time to do this video? I don't. My family are producing them and they are doing a very professional job with these videos.

How does a senior citizen get into rappping? When I wrote Getting Off the Niceness Treadmill, I put a poem on social media in the ninth chapter and found I could "rap" it. I have added lines to that rap as more social media have come out. Then I started writing more raps so I would have more material when I substitute. The benefit for being good all class period is that Mrs. Johnson (AKA MC AC now) will rap.

Students I substitute teach for keep teaching me what works and what doesn't work in a rap and so I keep adapting and improving my raps.  Friday one high school girl said she was stopping being a bully because of one of my raps. Her friend said she no longer is a drama queen because of my "Use Your Mind, Not Your Emotions" rap. Especially now at the end of the school year it helps to have this aid for keeping control, although I wish our tax refund had come and I didn't feel I have to substitute teach now. We will be so poor if that tax refund doesn't come soon! IRS what are you doing? Just testifying in Congress??? 

Do I study other rappers? No. Sometimes I explain it is a poem if students say it is not really a rap. I go for entertainment and also a message in many of the raps. It's a quick way to leave a legacy as evidenced by my feedback last Friday. 

So where is this YouTube channel? There is a tab at the top of this blog that directs you there and it is below. My nephew has photographic credits and my niece and her husband are producing the videos. Go there now and subscribe so you can hear and see all  my raps for the 2013 season.

Carol

MC AC The Rap Lady

http://youtu.be/eDjy85D6nqY

Margaret Thatcher Had Dementia




Picture from
 http://www.biography.com/people/margaret-thatcher-9504796\

  The news yesterday stated she died of a stroke. I signed a sympathy e-card at 
 http://actions.usagainstalzheimers.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=10377

But dementia over the twelve years weakened Mrs. Thatcher. Melissa Healy in the LA Time article here observed:

While former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was reported to have died of stroke on Monday, few experts doubt that dementia, the disease she lived with for at least the final 12 years of her life, contributed powerfully to her demise. . . . But the added risk of death that comes with dementia is well documented: among 70-year-olds who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, 61% are expected to die within a decade; among 70-year-olds without Alzheimer's disease, only 30% will die within a decade.

Mrs. Thatcher is noted here for saying:

• If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.
• It is not the creation of wealth that is wrong, but the love of money for its own sake.
• To me, consensus seems to be the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values and policies. So it is something in which no one believes and to which no one objects.
• We want a society where people are free to make choices, to make mistakes, to be generous and compassionate. This is what we mean by a moral society; not a society where the state is responsible for everything, and no one is responsible for the state.

Albert Mohler, who met the Baroness, wrote today here:

Baroness Thatcher once described her understanding of how the Christian faith should influence political philosophy and public policy. Speaking to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in May of 1988, Mrs. Thatcher argued that Christians “must not profess the Christian faith and go to church simply because we want social reforms and benefits for a better standard of behaviour; but because we accept the sanctity of life, the responsibility that comes with freedom and the supreme sacrifice of Christ.”

In explaining how the Christian faith should impact politics, she suggested that the Bible does not tell us “exactly what kind of political and social institutions we should have.” As she explained, “On this point, Christians will very often genuinely disagree; though it is a mark of Christian manners that they will do so with courtesy and mutual respect. What is certain, however, is that any set of social and economic arrangements which is not founded on the acceptance of individual responsibility will do nothing but harm.”

What a principled lady she was! Our world has been blessed by people such as her and Ronald Reagan, and unfortunately dementia/Alzheimer's took both leaders.

Dear Abby Goodbye

From S. F. Chronicle

Goodbye Abby!

A final letter to a dear lady

by Greg Asimakoupoulos

Used by permission*

News of your death has filled me with a bittersweet feeling
I'm glad you've been released from the bandit of dementia
that mercilessly robbed you of your memories and joie de vivre.
Nonetheless, I'm sad just the same.
Our world is less bright without your brilliant smile.

Thank you for a lifetime of advice giving
all the while taking the risk of being misunderstood.
You must have known from the start that speaking your mind
with the hope of touching another's heart has a price tag.

I started reading your column when I was just a kid.
As I recall, it's what got me started reading the newspaper to begin with.
I didn't always agree with you, but your concise and candid replies
were fun to read and taught me about responsibility and relationships.

Your columns modeled how to reach out to those who reach out to you.
With humor and insight, you found a way to benefit countless readers
while personally relating to a single individual.
Your winsome writing inspired me to do the same.

And so I keep trying.
Writing and reaching with the hope of helping others
while encouraging them to listen to their heart and do the right thing.
With fingers on the home row of my keyboard,
I peck away hunting to find the success that marked your life
Rest in peace, Pauline Phillips.
You were a dear, indeed!
Goodbye Abby!

Signed,
A grateful reader.

* Used by permission from http://www.partialobserver.com/article.cfm?id=3839

Father of Star of Les Miserables Has Advanced Alzheimer's

To read about Hugh Jackman's father having advanced Alzheimer's, click here. Hugh of course is a star in the "Les Miserables" movie.

I sent a note to Mr. Jackman (via George Vradenburg of USAgainstAlzheimer's.org) on my Facebook page and have already received a thank you from Mr. Vradenburg.*

Amazing film, Les Miserables, and I loved the book years so so many years ago. Loved the musical movie, the images, the message of forgiveness and Hugh Jackman's acting.

Hubby and I saw this film in Plant City last Wednesday afternoon. It was only $6 a person and there were maybe five people in the theater including us. Not sure how much culture we have here in this Southern town or if it was just a bad time.

During the three hour movie hubby just kept asking when we were going to leave this movie. Something would happen in the film, and he would say is it over?  First he told me that I owed him four movie choices. Then he raised it to six movie choices that I owed him. I kept feeding us popcorn--not a good choice.

Hubby loves the idea of going to a movie, since he watches them at home. The problem in going to a theater with him is finding just the right movie for him. I thought "Lincoln" would work because he likes the History Channel, but he didn't like it.

This is where we are with Alzheimer's. Selecting movies is like selecting a meal at a restaurant. He always has me select. Easier to select meals than movies. Starting to select his clothes now also.

Carol

* If you are my Facebook friend, you can click on my Facebook link on my wall. Or you can click on "Like" Plant City Lady at top right and the link is on there as well. You do not have to be a Facebook friend to "Like" this blog on Facebook and then it will appear in your feed when a new post comes up in case you do not have a blog dashboard. (People who are following The House That Cleans Itself  most of whom have that book have a private Facebook group where I am posting pictures I can no longer post because Google doesn't take pictures from my computer any longer.)

Review of Mark Shriver's Book on His Father Sarg Shriver

Eulogies often happen before we can fully appreciate what we have lost.  Mark Shriver's eulogy pretty much sums up a lot about his dad, Sarg. It can be read in last month's May 27 Parade Magazine Article.

Nonetheless Mark needed to rediscover his father and has done an outstanding job of fleshing out a wonderful man in the almost year and a half since Sargent Shriver's death due to Alzheimer's. An advanced reader's copy of this book was mailed to me by the publisher, Henry Holt and Company with permission to quote from the manuscript. Officially the book is released to the public tomorrow June 5th.

Note that sister Marie Shriver also produced The Alzheimer's Project, a four part HBO video project and a film for which she earned two Emmy Awards and an Academy of Television Arts and Sciences award. Maria's book for children is also reviewed here. Mark Shriver also deserves awards for this book because in his heart-felt reflections as he discovers his father's "insistent joy, powerful faith, generous spirit, and hopeful view of life." (p. 7) What outstanding tributes to their father!

Mark's mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founded the Special Olympics and Sarg Shriver the Peace Corps. While there is much Kennedy trivia, mystique and accomplishments that can be noted in the book, and Mark does say in the Acknowledgments that his publishing-savvy cousin Caroline Kennedy "taught him the ropes" for this book, I want to zero in on how faith here is passed from generation to generation, and how Sargent Shriver dealt with his own Alzheimer's.

Mark writes that Sarg went to Mass every day, even when he was in other countries. Furthermore, Sarg's faith wasn't just a ritualistic habit. Mark writes:

Dad was a radical, a hell-raiser who based his revolutionary public service on very orthodox instruction manuals: the Scriptures, his faith's creeds and prayers, and the life of Jesus Christ. . . . Dad lived out applied religion. He applied his faith's ethics every day to everything he did. His paradox--his radical orthodoxy--allowed him to conform to the requirements of a life in public service. (p. 128)

Despite admitting his own insecurities and early anger, Mark comes to terms with faith, hope and love reflecting on his father's death and faith.

I liked to think about faith, hope and love at church and talk about these ideas with my kids. But apart from a few minor struggles, I never needed them as if life depended on them. . . . It is ironic that so often the first time we have to use them for real--our parents' principles and examples and tools--comes when they themselves age, suffer, and die. My capacity for faith, hope, and love wasn't truly battle tested like his--until the day we learned what he would die from, and the ways in which he was going to suffer in the years leading up to his death. (p. 130)

Sarg was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in early 2000 and was put on the drug Aricept. Eventually Mark, the fourth of five siblings, was in charge. He handled finances, medical care and "each small step in his decline became another devastation for me" (p. 5). Early on in the disease he became angry with his father's obsession with turning on every light in the house. I can relate to obsessions (different ones) that my husband has. Yet Mark realized:

There could still be periods of happiness especially if I accepted Dad in the moment and didn't compare him to his old self or worry about the future. (p. 169)

Yesterday we were late for church. We were stopped by a train and Mark's words came to me. It didn't matter when the train would pass, when the end of Alzheimer's would come, but what mattered was now, the moment. My worship playlist on my iPod came through the speaker: Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, morning by morning new mercies I see. I worshipped with those words.  The moment of the endless train in front of me became transformed.

In 2003 Mark's brother Timothy approached his father about resigning from his job as Chairman of the Board for the Special Olympics. Sarg graciously resigned and continued showing his same values and care for others.

Even as he struggled with his memory and his mind faltered, he was, at his core, the same human being, breaking his mirror so as not to focus on himself, hopeful about humanity and the years ahead despite knowing the trials that lay ahead for him personally, and loving everyone, especially those society had shunned the most. A constant other-centeredness. He never lost it. (p. 174)

Sarg loved his wife in over 50 years. He once said to Mark, "Nowadays, everyone wants to change what God has given them  Look at those wrinkles on your mother's face. Have you ever seen a more beautiful woman in your life?" I cherish also the love that is given to me by my husband. Loving feelings of the Alzheimer's loved one continues even if memories don't.

Perhaps the most interesting dialogue between son and father came when Mark said to his father , "You are losing your mind. You know that. How does that make you feel? How are you doing with that?" Sarg replied:

I'm doing the best I can with what God has given me. (p. 190)

Mark was totally in awe of how his father let God be in control and asked for God's guidance every day of his life. This is where his father's joy came from.

Dad didn't harbor anger toward anyone, including those who may well have shortchanged his career, because he realized that he wasn't in control and neither were they. His faith was real and personal, and it freed him from anger and sadness and filled him with hope and love.(p. 191)

After Eunice died and the big house had to be sold, the term "caregiver" came into Mark's vocabulary. He discovered instead he had to be a "love giver". Lovegiver is now my new term. There really is a difference. I will reflect more on that difference in another post on this blog.

Thank you, Mark Shriver, for bearing your soul and all you have learned in the end. You don't have to be in control, a Kennedy, a Shriver, a politician, but in your book about your father, you have discovered your own new happiness.

Just a Word: Friends Encounter Alzheimer's by Rose Lamatt

Leaving two grown kids and an inattentive husband, author Rose walked out of  her marriage and her agoraphobia to a life with a new roommate, golfer Carol Beinbrink. Life is good for the two friends, until a WORD comes into their life. That word is Alzheimer's. Carol is diagnosed with Just a Word--Alzheimer's. 

I found out about this Florida author on The Alzheimer's Reading Room when Bob DeMarco highly reviewed her book . The true story reads like a well-crafted novel as Rose and Carol wrestle with the inevitable stages of Alzheimer's, the stages of grief and the death of Carol.   

I have now the privilege of being a Facebook friend of Rose and she messaged me that the book would be depressing for me. Yes and no. Yes, it was depressing because this is a path that I need to go down with my husband. But NO, not depressing, because it is so well-written and I am cheering for the progress of Rose in stepping out of panic attacks she had in her earlier life. I cheer the bold caregiver and Alzheimer's advocate she becomes by the end of the book. Not depressing because I realize that I can go through this process also. Rose did. With God's help, blogging friends, church family and the Alzheimer's support group I can go through this stress and challenge.

Here are some quotes from the book and my comments following the quote:

• We don't talk of it and keep an "up" feeling between us. p. 45 My husband and I are like that and to some degree we just continue to live each day as happy as we can.  (However, we have been able to be honest about this disease in the past months since attending Alzheimer's Association events together.)
• I see her embarrassment when she stops mid sentence in conversation, not able to find the right word. (p. 57) Here is some dialogue I had with DH recently, not as serious as Rose and Carol:

I forgot a document at home and DH says,

"Lady, you take the cake and I'm the one with the . . . What is it?"

Me:  "Short-term memory." We go back home to get the document.

DH: "I will give you one more chance. . . . [To our dog] What are

we going to do with mama's memory?"

• Next to a chair I place my hands on her shoulders and set her down, then sing, "Oh, we ain't got a barrel of money." (p. 105) I have mentioned before on this blog that this song, "Side by Side", is also our song--it's so upbeat and really anyone with a chronic illness needs a loved one to be by their side.
• I like how Rose quotes the saying, "It's much better to give than to receive." (p. 140)  More than a saying it is from Acts 20:35. 

Rose cared for her friend for fourteen years. In the process she really finds herself and she writes,

Being with someone who is dying of Alzheimer's, especially because the disease takes so long, watching the decline is a gift. We watch the person 'undo' their life at a slow rate. We may hate watching it, but in the end, I was happy to go through Carol's Alzheimer's Journey to death. It brought me closer to God than I'd ever been before. (pp. 176, 177) 

Rose, thank you for the realistic

and inspirational story that you weave.

Thanks that you continue to help Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers now as you volunteer and work in an assisted living facilities. Just A Word  is not depressing--it is hopeful as it ends.

Defining Issue of Our Age

It is June and I finally sat down to watch the May Larry King Special, "Unthinkable: The Alzheimer's Epidemic", saved on our Bright House cable box. However, this May special  wasn't there. My husband must have erased it. Did anyone see it?

I did a little research. Maria Shriver  (bless her heart--shame on Arnold)  in a promo for this video says Alzheimer's is "the defining issue of our age". She points out there is no remission and the Alzheimer's loved one becomes your child. I guess goodbye husband, hello child.

I also went online to Medscape.com and got an account there as "other health care provider"  and from that site I learned more of what was on the King special.

• Ronald Petersen, MD, director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease said "If we don't do something about Alzheimer's disease right now, Alzheimer's disease in and of itself may bankrupt the healthcare system. "  By 2050 the numbers are expected to hit 16,000,000! I will be 106 then. Yes I am turning 67 this month, and my husband is turning 74 in December.
• Angie Dickinson had a sister with Alzheimer's. She recommended, "Love them and I don't mean just love them with your soul and your head, but with your arms and your company and your touch and whatever pleasure still might be there for them, and don't ever let up," she said.

Angie's advice is what I can use now. Plan days with him. We started to go to the gym, but my husband didn't want to go at the end of last week. We went this morning.  He wanted to plant an orange tree and a grapefruit tree and we got those last week--fun to go shopping. He didn't have the energy to plant the trees and so Jake came over to help my husband. Jake said earlier last week that he needs someone to need him. We needed him as my back is a problem and DH doesn't have much energy.Sally and I enjoy our husband's friendship. Both Jake and DH get bored. That's why the days have to be planned even if they don't remember what happened. DH's clipboard list I typed does help him remember what is happening each day. Jake and DH may not remember events, but they remember our love.

Sally is applying FlyLady organization to her home. I need to do that also, even though my back still hurts. Company motivates me. We have company coming for dinner Wednesday night and for my birthday next weekend.  My beloved sister-in-law is coming into town! Can't wait! She is driving all day to get here without my brother whom she is dropping off somewhere to golf for his weekend.

Now the defining issue of our age for me used to be driving after drinking. Several times during the year I teach the twelve hour class for impaired drivers--the ones who have gotten their first DUI arrest. I try to get these students to never ever drive impaired again. If you follow this blog you realize that ironically we were hit by an impaired driver last December--that driver's blood alcohol content was three times the legal limit when he hit us. Our lawyer recently contacted us to say that he had no way of receiving a settlement because the driver was not insured and so the case is essentially over. I can write about what happened now, but impaired drivers is not the defining issue for me.

Daily I pour into Scripture to help me cope with my husband's disease. He is basically happy and I need to apply Angie's wisdom and the wisdom from Bob on the Alzheimer's Reading Room. Yes, my daily Scripture is what gets me through the day. This morning I read my daily Scripture from the New Living Translation of the Bible to my husband on the backyard deck. Here are highlights:

1 King 22:5 But first let’s find out what the LORD says. Acts 13:32, 33 [Paul to Jews and Gentiles at Antioch of Pisidia on his first missionary journey] And now we are here to bring you this Good News. The promise was made to our ancestors, and God has now fulfilled it for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. . . .Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God—something the law of Moses could never do. Ps. 138:3, 7, 8  As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength. . . . Tough I am surrounded by troubles, you will protect me from the anger of my enemies. You reach out your hand, and the power of your right hand saves me. The LORD will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O LORD, endured forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me. Prov. 17:17 A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.

I have several comments on that Scripture.

• Always find out what the LORD wants.
• Jesus Christ is still the defining issue of this age. Whether you or your loved one has Alzheimer's, you are declared right with God and have a home in heaven. This life is not all. See link "Two Ways to Live" on right.
• My sister-in-law coming to visit reminds me of Proverbs 17:17. I have told her that if my brother were to pass away, I would be there for her and she always is for me. I have two younger brothers, but she is the sister I never had.

What is your defining issue?
What gives you peace in the midst of your storm?

Charleston Heston, 1923-2008

Charlton's Last Interview With Wife Lydia 

ABC interviewed the couple (see U-Tube above). V ery special short interview. Charlton said in this interview,  “What can’t be cured must be endured.” Lydia Heston told how she was appalled upon hearing the news. Nancy Reagan called her and offered to talk anytime Lydia needed to talk. The interviewed said so appropriately to Heston, “The problem is not for you, but for those around you.”

At the time Charlton Heston was President of the National Rifle Association for the third term, on August 9, 2002 Heston announced he had the symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease. A year later Heston stepped down from his NRA Presidency. See here.

Now Heston was famous for these quotes:

• "This doesn’t happen when they use guns." 
• "I’ll give you my gun when you take it from my cold, dead hand."

Charles Heston did live six more years to the age of 84, having been married to wife Lydia for 64 years. He did in fact have Alzheimer’s.

An article came out the day of his announcement in Slate (The New York Times Weekender on line) that asked “Will Charlton Heston Have to Give Up His Guns?” See here. It seems that several states, including California and Oregon, have this requirement for Alzheimer’s patients.



I am not sure how the Heston family handled the gun issue, but the following solutions can work to prevent the AD loved one use guns when deluded or angry.

1. Lock up the guns.

2. Put the ammunition elsewhere.

3. Disable the gun.

Charles Heston acted in the first two epic movies I ever saw, “The Ten Commandments” and “Ben Hur”. He was always handsome with his stature, chiseled face and distinctive voice and always well-regarded. They don’t make ‘em like him anymore and certainly several other California actors have disgraced themselves in recent years.

Arnold and Mel,

        Who will be there for you like Lydia was for Charles and Nancy was for Ronnie if you get dementia? Just wondering.

                                                       Carol

100 Years After Ronald Reagan's Birth

Ronald Reagan was born 100 years ago today on February 6, 1911. He was my governor when I lived in California and he was our our 40th President for two terms in the 1980s. He was a fiscal conservative and America prospered economically under his leadership.Generations will remember his famous Tear Down That Wall speech.  His speaking skills perhaps were enhanced by his years as an actor. Reagan is remembered for the years he didn't have Alzheimer's.

However, after he left office, in November 5, 1994  he announced:

My fellow Americans, I have recently been told that I am one of the millions of Americans who will be afflicted with Alzheimer's disease.


Upon learning this news, Nancy and I had to decide whether as private citizens we would keep this a private matter or whether we would make this news known in a public way. In the past, Nancy suffered from breast cancer and I had my cancer surgeries. We found through our open disclosures we were able to raise public awareness. We were happy that as a result, many more people underwent testing. They were treated in early stages and able to return to normal, healthy lives.


So now we feel it is important to share it with you. In opening our hearts, we hope this might promote greater awareness of this condition. Perhaps it will encourage a clearer understanding of the individuals and families who are affected by it.


At the moment I feel just fine. I intend to live the remainder of the years God gives me on this Earth doing the things I have always done. I will continue to share life's journey with my beloved Nancy and my family. I plan to enjoy the great outdoors and stay in touch with my friends and supporters.


Unfortunately, as Alzheimer's disease progresses, the family often bears a heavy burden. I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy from this painful experience. When the time comes, I am confident that with your help she will face it with faith and courage.


In closing, let me thank you, the American people, for giving me the great honor of allowing me to serve as your president. When the Lord calls me home, whenever that day may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future.


I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.


Thank you, my friends. May God always bless you.

Reagan lived almost ten years after that announcement, dying June 5, 2004 at age 93.  I was a widow when Reagan died and my sentiments were for Nancy Reagan. I didn't know the future, that my second husband would also be diagnoised with Alzheimer's. But the Reagans made us Americans more aware of this disease according to the Washington Post. I  know that DH will not come out and make such an announcement and I have tried to do that in a dignified fashion for him. I am glad that he is content.

Many celebrities have gotten Alzheimer's according to this 2006 List. The list includes painter Norman Rockwell (1894-1978); singer Perry Como (192-2001); and actress Rita Hayworth (1918-1987). In 2003 it was announced that actor Charton Heston has a dementia-like illness.Celebrity doesn't keep one from this dreaded disease.

Celebrity Power Two

It sure doesn’t hurt to have a celebrity, journalist and California first lady, Maria Shriver, help the Alzheimer’s cause.

"We're trying to take it out of the closet and put it into the living room." Maria Shriver said in this week’s ABC special. ABC News Video Video is so moving.

 Shriver’s report according to Time (see Time article) says that we still do not know a lot and more needs to be done. We do know that there are risk factors for dementia and preventative behaviors as reported by Duke University:

"When we applied rigorous but consistent standards to review all the studies, we found that there was not sufficient evidence to recommend any single activity or factor that was protective of cognitive decline later in life," says Plassman. [Brenda Plassman is the leader of the study.] However weakly, though, the review did support what doctors know about risk factors for cognitive decline: smoking, diabetes, depression, metabolic syndrome (the constellation of conditions including high blood pressure, obesity and high cholesterol that are associated with heart disease and diabetes) and specific gene variants were all linked with increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. In addition, preventive behaviors such as eating a Mediterranean diet (high in fruits and vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids and unsaturated fats), exercising, maintaining cognitive engagement (doing puzzles, learning new things) and fostering extensive social relationships were linked to a lower risk. The problem is that none of these relationships were particularly robust, the authors say. And none were strong enough to justify recommending the behaviors to people who want to prevent or slow down the onset of dementia.

Next year we have the “Community Living Assistance Services” a voluntary long-term care provided by the government. I do not know the specifics. Shriver says more needs to be done for the enormous financial costs involved. Long-term care insurance is costly, and Medicare does not pay for nursing home care. The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act became law as part of President Obama's health care reform, and it will provide voluntary long-term care insurance provided by the federal government starting in 2011. Despite this new law, the Shriver Report says it's not nearly enough to offset much of the financial burden of long-term care, and urges the government to make more financial assistance available. The costs will only rise with the baby boomers coming into retirement. I did buy $58.20 a month coverage for myself which I could get because I am healthy, but can’t get for my husband because of his heart history, diabetes and Mixed Dementia diagnosis. I may need that coverage myself because of the stress that I have as a caregiver and I am definitely looking into the voluntary government coverage for my husband.

For more see these links:

Videos   

Lindsey Jordan, Teen Caregiver

Meanwhile I am going to enjoy the abilities of my husband that he currently has and daily put our future in the Lord's hands.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Maria.

Yes to more research,

yes to more help for us caregivers,

yes to more public awareness.

Celebrity Power One

I am so drawn to the cover of a magazine and magazines know this. At the check out stand they demand that I purchase them. Now I do not need another magazine because I only have 2/3 of my magazine pile sorted through. But  I bought one--the October issue of Good Housekeeping.

I have often thought about the rich and the famous and how they might manage their homes. I think that undoubtedly they hired housekeepers and organizers to put it all together. Not so with Jamie Lee Curtis. I didn't find out if Jamie actually does her own cleaning like this cover implies, but she does her own organizing. And I am more into organizing than cleaning at this point in any case.

Jamie wears black, white, navy--boring colors IMHO, but her closet at the left is to die for. She regularly gives excess away and simplifies. She wears what is simple and makes sense to her.

Now I am not about to buy new containers for all my cosmetics and pantry items like Jamie does, although I do think her point about cracker and cereal boxes is good. I like to put cereal in other containers. 

Jamie makes a very liveable home. I am getting there, Jamie. I am getting there, FlyLady.

“One person’s mess is merely another person’s filing system.”~~ Margo Kaurman