While reading the Tangled Neuron blog I noticed one of the recommended books was titled Just Love Me: My Life Turned Upside-Down by Alzheimers.
The book caught my attention because most books on Alzheimers tend to be written by caregivers or medical professionals. Anyway, I found one of the book reviews on Amazon to be particularly moving:
This book has been such an eye-opener that I gave it to friends. As a caregiver to my mother with late stage Alzheimer, it was such a revelation for me to understand what she was going through. When I see the fear and frustration on my mother's face when she knows she should remember something or when she is pretty sure that what she just said doesn't make sense, I remember the title of Jeanne's to "just love" her. All the stories that the author tells of forgetting what she meant to add to the conversation or blanking on the alphabetical order are all things that I watched my mother go through. I would get so frustrated with my mother when she erratically thinks we were going some place else or ask about someone who is dead. Now thanks to "Just Love Me" My Life Turned Upside-down By Alzheimer's, I know to just give my mother a smile or a hug. I know she can still appreciate the beauty of a sunset even though she sometimes forgets my name. And I know that she never asked to have Alzheimer's and that it is much more painful for her than it is for me.
Well said.
Anyone caring for someone with Alzheimers understands the importance of patience - and kindness. And as the U.S. population ages, we all need to be more understanding of older Americans. Recently, I was out for lunch with my elderly mother who was having difficulty ordering food from the menu. The waitress who was obviously in a hurry became visibly frustrated which hurt my mom's feelings and upset her. That same day, I was filling a prescription for my mom at the local pharmacy when the cashier yelled at an elderly man saying "don't yell at me" when the man had clearly not yelled - he was trying to explain why he thought the prescription was incorrectly filled. The cashier seemed more stressed than the elderly gentlemen.
These pharmacies (all businesses) need to train their employees on the importance of patience and understanding toward seniors. With the massive increase in our senior population this is good business and just good period. It's the right thing to do. These seniors helped build the society we now enjoy and a little respect is due. Service is bad enough at most businesses today but cut the seniors a break - you'll want the same treatment when your that age.
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