I was killing time at the grocery store. Really, I was also hungry, but I would’ve been eating at my house if my friend wasn’t at a nearby doctor’s appointment. And so, I was stuck in an unfamiliar part of town, waiting for him. And so I ended up in the Giant Eagle grocery store. […]
Tag Archives: life
When your relatives think you “shouldn’t have moved mom”
When the holidays come around, your relatives come in from out of town. And, of course, they also bring a lot of opinions with them. I can’t tell you how many of my residents’ adult kids come in, upset, and tearfully tell me that their cousins/siblings/aunts and uncles/friends/etc. think that they “shouldn’t have moved mom [the […]
“I didn’t eat breakfast!”
Maddie paced up and down the hallway, looking unusually distraught. Normally, Maddie was in a fantastic mood and always engaged in activities. Today, however, Maddie was upset about something. She flagged me down and said, “Hon, I didn’t get any breakfast!” Normally, I would be alarmed, and go get her a plate, but I had watched […]
In Paris
Malinda was notorious for “shopping” in other residents’ closets. Because she felt like the whole floor was her house, she had no qualms about going into other people’s rooms and picking up their stuff. More often than not, Malinda had at least 2 layers of clothing on. At least one pair of pants, usually a sweater […]
Is Dementia World a Happy Place?
“I am leaving for the day, because my young son is at home with a babysitter,” Agnes told me calmly. “But I just wanted to tell you that I had the best time today, this was just wonderful,” she smiled, motioning to the little kids running in the courtyard. We had just had an Easter […]
I’m Not Old Like These People.
“I’ve made a mistake. I came here once to visit this place with all of the elderly people, but I don’t want to be here anymore. All these old people live here,” Mary* whispered to me. Many of my residents do not know how old they are. Every once in a while, Mary will become […]
New Love.
They sat, holding hands, talking softly in his room. Matthew* and Rachel* are a new couple. Both of them have lived in our community for quite a while, but it seems as though, suddenly, they’ve noticed each other. They both have dementia, but they’re near the same cognitive level. You could talk to one of them […]