If you’ve been following along, you might recall that taking Burt to a park was my favorite project. Burt had always been- not in the flannel shirt/camping way but in the New York City style- an outdoors guy. He loved to walk. He and I loved sitting watching the river traffic pass. We had beenContinue reading “Found treasures”
Tag Archives: #activity
As I enjoyed the fantastic Max Pollak Group tap, I had the memory of Burt tapping along as we watched a dancer on tv. He was seated in his big brown chair. His feet were dancing along. Burt loved tap dancing. He would have loved this show. In some ways, he was there enjoying withContinue reading
Supported
Burt has me and his excellent aides as his support. He gets visit from a very caring OT and PT team. He also has a fantastic crew of doctors and nurses from Weill Cornell Center on Aging to keep his well-being on track. It’s not easy maintaining his quality of life at the best itContinue reading “Supported”
Redundant
My takeaway from the discussion was that the brain protects itself by holding redundancies. Well, that was one of the points I gleaned from Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s StarTalk with Daniel Levitan (and Chuck Knight) on music as our first language. Why redundancy? It would be a way for the brain to keep and store informationContinue reading “Redundant”
Down down up
When I speak of Burt’s return or of an upswing, I am grading on a curve. After his recent declines, he has not achieved clarity, coherence, or cognitive functioning. He tells me of imagined trips where he met people with wonderfully unlikely names. He insists I bring Tamara to him when I say, “I’m yourContinue reading “Down down up”
Making a case
Playdoh makes an unexpected case for permanence. Playdoh, it turns out, will dry. You can even put your creation on a tray and bake it. I am looking forward to a chance to try to work with Burt with this material. His current hobby seems only to be talk and lots of it. Lately, it’sContinue reading “Making a case”
A Welcome Visitor
Burt really perked up during a visit this week. Our guest was someone we’ve known for many years; Burt didn’t remember him but he was a happier guy than he’d been in awhile. He even made an effort to get out of bed to go to his recliner. He told jokes. Visits break up theContinue reading “A Welcome Visitor”
Surprise
Have you noticed what a handy tool the calendar is? We share so much by pointing to it. Look, over here, come Thursday, it’s your birthday. Burt is no longer able to keep order in the days, the months, or the dates. Recently, on a phone confirmation, he wasn’t able to assure the caller ofContinue reading “Surprise”
It’s the money, honey
Caring for a family member with dementia can be heartbreaking and difficult in so many ways. One of the hardest tasks may be protecting them from ruining their finances as their condition deteriorates. Research shows that those with dementia often show signs of financial trouble years before diagnosis. Left unchecked, their unpaid bills, gratuitous spendingContinue reading “It’s the money, honey”
Our outdoor weekend
This morning, Burt asked me what I was doing yesterday. I said I was in the park with you. “I didn’t see you. Why didn’t you come say hello?” It now occurs to me that Burt is antsy in the park when he doesn’t realize I am with him.
this is our life 