Chap 29 is now up. During this time we had a bit of a lull, so we emptied out Peggy's storage area and took care of other bureaucracy. Also, The Cure and yacht rock (two very different things).
fiveandahalfyears.net/chapter-29-a...
#Alzheimers #dementia #FTD #yachtrock

What is life like in Memory Care? Many caregivers (and the person in their care) have a lot of trepidation about a potential move. Here's what memory care was like for Peggy and us (her caregivers):
fiveandahalfyears.net/memory-care-...
#Alzheimers #dementia #FTD

Chap 28 is now up. This post is about when my sister slapped (unprovoked) another resident, which is when we started her on Sertraline. It was a difficult time as we all tried to figure out what was happening with Peggy.
fiveandahalfyears.net/chapter-28-t...
#Alzheimers #dementia #FTD

Along with The Walker Incident, there is a deep dive - being a good detective. Sometimes we have to hone those Agatha Christie skills to figure out what exactly happened.
fiveandahalfyears.net/being-a-good...
#Alzheimers #dementia #FTD

Chap 27 is now posted. This post is about what happens when your person with dementia can't be relied on to accurately tell you what happened. In my sister's case, there was an incident with a walker (not the Walking Dead kind).
fiveandahalfyears.net/chapter-27-t...
#Alzheimers #dementia #FTD

'What if I die first?' Making a plan is key for family caregivers. Here's how People who care for an adult child, partner or sibling have to face the reality that their loved may outlive them. Planning ahead is key but it's not easy.

I'm a little behind the times, but I saw this article about making plans for family caregivers and thought it was useful.

I was always worried about what would happen to my sister with #Alzheimers if I got hit by a truck, so the article hit home.
www.npr.org/2026/03/28/n...

Chap 26 is now up. This post is about how Peggy had become an "unreliable narrator" and us going into "trust but verify" mode with her. Peggy's best friend from kindergarten and I had long talks about this.

Also - Corvus Corax!
fiveandahalfyears.net/chapter-26-a...
#Alzheimers #dementia #FTD

chap 25 is now up. This post is about Peggy settling into memory care. There were meltdowns, caregiver angst and guilt (mine), iPhones as TV remotes, and general adjustments to Peggy's new life.
fiveandahalfyears.net/chapter-25-m...
#Alzheimers #dementia #FTD

Chap 24 is now up. This post is about Peggy's move to memory care. There were logistics, meltdowns, recalcitrant relatives, (not uncommon), but ultimately, success. It really did take a team to make it all happen.
fiveandahalfyears.net/chapter-24-m...
#Alzheimers #dementia #TFD

This is all so very true. The only thing I found I could do was to bring her chocolate or some of her favorite 80s music to listen to - and just be there for them. I definitely had some poker face fails.

Chap 23 is up now. This post is about recognizing early signs of mild cognitive impairment in someone with early onset #Alzheimers It's not easy because they're so young. I think MCI started for Peggy at about age 52. Co-workers recognized it first. #dementia
fiveandahalfyears.net/chapter-23-m...

I'm so sorry. It was exactly like that with my sister who had #Alzheimers and #FTD Unfortunately I got very good at keeping a poker face even though I was screaming inside.

I'd heard that music can be very important for people with dementia and I found that to be true with my sister. She lived for karaoke, even in stage 6 - and she was great at it.

Chap 22 is up. This post is about Peggy's imminent move to memory care, her deep stage 5 progression - how do you take a shower? What if you can't find the bathroom? Still - good times - remembering the TV show The FBI.

fiveandahalfyears.net/chapter-22-e...
#Alzheimers #dementia #FTD

Chap 21 is up. This post is about getting in and out of the car (harder than you think), communicating with doctors so that your person with dementia has agency - and noting that there are still good times to be had.
fiveandahalfyears.net/chapter-21-l...
#Alzheimers #dementia #FTD

Chap 20 is now up. This post is about needless medical bureaucracy, self-care, music, and Peggy's friends showing up. Also, when do you take the phone away?
fiveandahalfyears.net/chapter-20-t...
#Alzheimers #dementia #FTD

Chap 19 is now up. This post is about the aftermath of Jezebel's death and the effect it had on Peggy. Also, looming incontinence 😱 and a lot of word salad.
fiveandahalfyears.net/chapter-19-t...
#Alzheimers #dementia #FTD

Chap 18 is now up. This post is about the aftermath of a fall that Peggy had that landed her in the emergency room. She needed stitches, but was okay. But then sadly, her favorite cat died. Ugh. Definitely a difficult time.
fiveandahalfyears.net/chapter-18-h...
#dementia #Alzheimers #FTD

I'm so sorry about your mom. I lost my sister to #dementia two years ago, so I know that feeling of being a wreck (all the time). Sending strength.

I'm with you. Those types of ads are corrosive as people tend to believe them. When my sister had dementia I was constantly fending off people who wanted to make it all her fault. Maybe it's their own fears showing? #Alzheimers #dementia #FTD

Thank you Eliza Brooks from Asm. Mia Bonta’s office for meeting with advocates to discuss funding for Dementia Care Aware, Alzheimer's Treatment Coverage and Older & Dependent Adult Victims: Vertical Prosecutions. We appreciate your partnership in the fight to #EndAlz

Chap 17 is now up. We're solidly in stage 5 here with everything that goes with that. Interactions become a little more challenging. Ethical issue: when to clear out a person's storage area? Remember self-care - it's important.
fiveandahalfyears.net/chapter-17-s...
#Alzheimers #FTD #dementia

Chap 16 has now been posted. This post is mostly about tips I used to help Peggy feel seen and heard. Humor was a big tool in my toolbox. Playing to her strengths was another. Learning everything I could about dementia also helped.
fiveandahalfyears.net/chapter-16-h...
#alzheimers #ftd #dementia

These are all great things to be doing. Which reminds me - I should practice playing my flute more often. 🙂

Four Pillars of Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention – Wrap Up Bringing it all together in a plan

Four Pillars of Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention Wrap Up:
Bringing it all together in a plan #alzheimers #alzheimersdisease #alzheimersawareness open.substack.com/pub/sredfern...

The book "On Pluto", www.amazon.com/Pluto-Inside...
written by a former investigative reporter who has early-onset #Alzheimers, describes what it's like. He says it's exhausting trying to hold it all together, and sometimes it's like he's "On Pluto", where communication is far away and difficult.

Chapter 15 is now up. This post is about Peggy trying to hold it all together, and not always succeeding, hence "I'm trying." She'd often say "sometimes I can't do anything."
fiveandahalfyears.net/chapter-15-i...
#Alzheimers #dementia #FTD

Chapter 14 is now up. These two posts are about cutting off access to my sister's credit cards & canceling unused checks. It was sad, but she wasn't safe to have those in her possession any longer
fiveandahalfyears.net/chapter-14-w...
fiveandahalfyears.net/removing-acc...
#Alzheimers #dementia #ftd

'Birdbrain' benefits: How being an expert birdwatcher may boost cognition New research shows that seasoned birders — including older adults — had denser tissue in parts of the brain tied to attention and perception.

Looks like I'm going to be taking up a new hobby 🙂
Sorry if you've all posted this, but for some reason I can't see my feed right now ....
My first task - Identify the pretty blue bird in the photo
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
#Alzheimers #dementia

This form of mental exercise may cut dementia risk for decades A study finds that people who did one specific form of brain training in the 1990s were less likely to be diagnosed with dementia over the next 20 years.

This seems like a good thing. Like the guy in the article, I also do many, many sit-ups (and other gym activities). It all helps.
www.npr.org/2026/02/18/n...
#Alzheimers #dementia