Tag: dementialand

alzheimer's, dementia

Mirrors, Strangers, and Friends in Dementialand

I know a man who accused his wife of cheating because this old guy showed up in their bedroom at night. I recently talked to the daughter of a man who refuses to take showers because he is sick of a creepy dude watching him. A woman at a local nursing home thinks that the woman in the mirror is actually the woman in the next room, and she keeps telling that woman to find a hobby instead of sitting there all day. And I know multiple individuals with dementia who have told family members that people are breaking into their homes. A few have even called the police. Continue reading Mirrors, Strangers, and Friends in Dementialand

Elaine M. Eshbaugh, PhD3 Comments
dementia, depression

The Most Difficult Dementialand Post I Have Written to Date (aka What Dementia has in Common with Depression)

This was not the post I intended to publish this morning. In fact, I have a post written on police officers and how they work to help those with dementia…but that has to wait until next week. My heart is somewhere else right now. Wednesday there was a suicide on the college campus where I work as a professor. Her name was Katie, and I didn’t … Continue reading The Most Difficult Dementialand Post I Have Written to Date (aka What Dementia has in Common with Depression)

Elaine M. Eshbaugh, PhD26 Comments
alzheimer's, caregiver, caregiving

Critical Nitwits in Dementialand

I was speaking at a support group when an older woman told me that her husband, who had Alzheimer’s, needed 24/7 care. She said she was able to be home most of the time, but she was continuing to work about ten hours a week at a liquor store. She explained that her job paid little more than minimum wage. She paid more for her … Continue reading Critical Nitwits in Dementialand

Elaine M. Eshbaugh, PhD8 Comments
alzheimer's, caregiver, caregiving, dementia, dementialand

Aggressive Behavior in Dementialand

My cell phone rings in the morning as I’m blowdrying my hair before work. I look at the number, and I’m not sure who’s calling. I’m tempted to assume it’s a wrong number and not answer. I’m running late. I figure if it’s someone I know, they can leave a voicemail. However, something tells me to answer. It’s a friend of a friend that I’ve … Continue reading Aggressive Behavior in Dementialand

Elaine M. Eshbaugh, PhD11 Comments
alzheimer's, dementia, dementialand

Forgetting Your Manners (Among Other Things) in Dementialand

Several years ago, I was sitting with a group of individuals who had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I don’t spend a lot of time with people in the early stages of the disease. Many of the people with Alzheimer’s that I talk to are past the point where they are able to tell me what it’s like to have Alzheimer’s. Although I had been … Continue reading Forgetting Your Manners (Among Other Things) in Dementialand

Elaine M. Eshbaugh, PhD6 Comments
alzheimer's, caregiver, caregiving, dementia

A Special and Weird Kind of Loneliness in Dementialand

When I was in graduate school, I had a friend who was going through a rough stretch in her relatively new marriage. She told me something that struck me as interesting…and sad. She said that she was sometimes lonely when she was single, but that loneliness did not compare to the loneliness she now felt when her husband was right next to her. Her husband seemed like a stranger to her. Continue reading A Special and Weird Kind of Loneliness in Dementialand

Elaine M. Eshbaugh, PhD6 Comments
alzheimer's, caregiver, caregiving, dementia, families, lewy body dementia

Before and After in Dementialand (Or Why I Watch TLC and HGTV)

I was talking to some friends a few weeks back, and the TV show My 600-Pound Life on TLC came up in conversation. It’s a reality show about super-obese individuals who get weight loss surgery and attempt to change their lives for the better. For some reason, I was hesitant to admit to my friends that I watch the show. I wanted to say I had … Continue reading Before and After in Dementialand (Or Why I Watch TLC and HGTV)

Elaine M. Eshbaugh, PhD3 Comments
aging, alzheimer's, caregiving, dementia, lewy body dementia

Small Victories in Dementialand

I try to respect people’s privacy. Within my blog, I change names and identifying details of individuals. And, when possible, I ask for permission to tell stories. Almost without exception, people want their stories told. They are excited about the possibility they have had an insight or experience that others might find interesting or useful. They may not want their names given, but they want their stories out … Continue reading Small Victories in Dementialand

Elaine M. Eshbaugh, PhD
alzheimer's, dementia, lewy body dementia, pwd

Why There Are No Superheroes in Dementialand

Tuesday was National Superhero Day. There’s a day for everything, right? Pancake Day, Oyster Day, Star Wars Day. Superhero Day got me thinking in a way that National Frozen Food Day, Johnny Appleseed Day, and Goddess of Fertility Day did not. (However, National Frozen Food Day did make me crave frozen French toast sticks and tater tots.) I’ve been thinking about how I don’t believe in … Continue reading Why There Are No Superheroes in Dementialand

Elaine M. Eshbaugh, PhD
aging, alzheimer's, caregiving, dementia, families

Stuffed Cats and Real Cats in Dementialand

I once got in a tense argument about whether a stuffed cat was a real cat. For the record, it was a stuffed cat but really it was a real cat. About ten years ago, I was visiting with a hospice patient on a weekly basis. Linda-not her real name-had vascular dementia (as well as multiple other health conditions) and lived at an assisted living. She was reserved … Continue reading Stuffed Cats and Real Cats in Dementialand

Elaine M. Eshbaugh, PhD5 Comments