Category: Caregiving

by Patte Earley as told to Betty J. Johnson   “I am so angry. I’m fifty-one years old and my husband, Bill, has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Where do I focus my anger?” I cried. “Are you mad at God?” Mary asked. “No, I’m not angry at God, because I don’t believe this…

“And a little child shall lead them.” by Tammy Vice as told to Linda Owen   We were your ordinary family. My husband, Rudy, worked long, hard hours so we could take vacations. My daughter, Allison, enjoyed school and had a passion for horses. When I wasn’t being a mom, I was wrapped up in…

Survival is possible by understandingthe disease and its victim. by LeAnn Campbell   According to the National Alzheimer’s Association, approximately four million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, and that number will increase to 14 million by the middle of the century unless researchers find a cure or prevention. The disease affects one in ten people over…

Learning to accept a plan you don’t understand. by Marcie Nootenboom   My hand shook as I held the phone. I tried to stand, but collapsed on the chair as my whole body began to shake. I’d just been told the diagnosis that my now-deceased husband had been given many years ago was a mistake….

Learning to care for a senior adultthe way God cares for us. by Sharon Lee Goodman   Old sayings often speak the truth about life in a sharp and honest manner: “Fish and company stink after three days.” “Houseguests, who stay past their welcome, visit at their own risk.” Both of these are good examples…

A devoted wife learns how to honor her husbandwhile dealing with his disease. by Marcia Alice Mitchell   Shortly after Lee and I were married, he began to lose his balance while walking. Initially, the doctors thought he might have Multiple Sclerosis. They later amended the diagnosis to Cerebral Atrophy, then Atrophy of the Cerebellum,…

God’s help in human frailty. by LeAnn Campbell   I peeled a potato while Mother watched. “Is this how you do it?” she asked. What was wrong here? Mother, a farmer’s wife, had peeled thousands of potatoes for big bowls of mashed potatoes and platters of French fries or potato chips. How could she forget…