Research Opportunities

My husband and I are joining the HOPE study at Boston University AD Research Center to be part of determining what cognitive changes are normal aging and which signal possible dementia. It is both exciting and a bit intimidating to join this study. It means we have a full neurological workup with memory tests, etc.
As a coach, I want to learn what this process is like so I can explain it better to my clients and feel the uncertainty as I engage in the testing. I will be writing more about this experience after 4/3 when we are initially tested. It calls for yearly visits in Boston to re-evaluate. I'll also be writing about it in my column in the South Shore Senior News and the Neponset Valley Senior News.

Caring Well

I'm giving a talk soon for families on how to get through the dementia journey well. The first thing a family needs is information. Questions like What is dementia? How do I understand what is happening to my family member? What do I need to learn to relate to him now that he has dementia? are what families ask. These are important questions. The more a caregiver knows about what is happening to their family member, the better understanding he will have of the changes in behavior.
What do families need to know? They need to understand each other's way of expressing their love for the person. Each family member has a different relationship with the person and grieves the loss of that person as he was. It is hard to change a pattern of relating that has been in place for many years. But, if each person learned a new way that keeps them in relationship with their family member, each would find it joyful.
People with dementia are still here. We just need to find them and stay in their world. It is the only way to love them now.
Coach Beverly