(Time Period: About two years after Mom moved into memory care.)
When Mom first showed signs of a failing memory, I found myself using a certain word and asking the same thing repeatedly. That single-worded question was this: “Remember?”
That’s your niece, Gloria, your sister Rose’s daughter. Remember?
That’s when you and Dad took a trip to Hawaii. Remember? Read more
(Time Period: About a year after Mom moved into the smaller assisted living home with memory care.)
“I ordered Grace the Alzheimer’s pajamas.”
“Okay,” I responded, “What are Alzheimer’s pajamas?” Read more
“Does she know you?” That’s the question everyone asked and I understand why. There is much anguish in anticipating that someone you love deeply and know intimately might not respond with that familiar smile. Read more
“She smiled and acknowledged us. It was a good visit.” My friend Ira described a 15-minute interaction with his mother who was confined in a memory care facility during the height of the pandemic. With plexiglass restrictions and no-touch rules, it was especially heartbreaking. That Sunday, receiving a smile from his mother made it a fraction more bearable. Read more
(Time Period: In the last few months of my mother’s life while she received hospice care.)
In the final months of my mother’s life, I sat by her bedside while she rested, played soft music and even watched a bit of the Food Network with her when she was up for it. The days ebbed and flowed with the overall direction clear but the exact timing unknown. Overall it was a peaceful phase. Read more