Guiding a parent struggling with Alzheimer’s is a challenge we rarely anticipate and are seldom equipped to handle.
Ken Abraham details this bittersweet experience, from the point of view of walking this road with his mother. During this Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, we hear the funny, sad, and poignant moments as Ken recounts those years caring for his mother—and how the love of God was very evident even in these unsettling times. His book is called . Ken is a fourteen time New York Times bestselling author.
“How is it possible to lose a loved one while he or she is still living, still sitting right in front of you, talking with you, smiling at you, and yet the person you have known and loved for years is somehow gone?” – Ken
Our conversation takes the following directions:
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages have the disease. That’s fully one eighth of older Americans.
We find encouragement in a situation that is profoundly difficult. There are practical things we can do to make the journey safer, kinder, and more endurable.
What are the differences between a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and dementia? Ken’s mom had Vascular Dementia, and he explains there are many different forms of that disease.
Are there triggering events on the path to these diagnoses and, if yes, what are they?
What are some of the signs you can be watching for? Ken mentions these:
• A memory that’s markedly slipping
• Unusual mood swings
• The language you’re used to hearing starts changing
• Hoarding
• An obsession with things
The understandable reaction to the behavior exhibited by someone with this diagnosis is to correct them. Yet that simply does not work. The key lies in changing the subject.
One of the biggest challenges on this path is honoring our parents in the midst of this disease. How can we do it?
