Description
This is one of many stories that could be written about the heartache of Alzheimer’s Disease. It is told by a life partner who journeyed through the stages of caregiving from not understanding what was happening to the point of extreme grief. You will find that caregiving and dementia have a tenuous relationship; that most logical and productive suggestions fail to succeed; that Alzheimer’s care resembles all too often the upside-down world of Alice in Wonderland.
But this is also a story of hope. Understanding and nurturing a patient’s sensory essence is the key to developing trust with caregivers. It is also the single most successful technique for inspiring happiness and contentment in someone who suffers so much loss with AD. The author describes his own irregular path towards that awareness and ends with an appeal to the Alzheimer’s Association to develop a professional training program that will teach family members and prospective caregivers how to interact with those who are losing rational and logical skills.
About the Author: Daniel Tyler is a retired history professor. Born before WWII, he grew up on a ranch in Colorado prior to studying at Harvard College. After receiving a degree in political science and a commission in the USAF, he served as a jet flight instructor and taught history in Hawaii. Tyler returned to ranching for a few years then earned a Ph.D. in American History. He taught in Mexico, Argentina, and at Colorado State University where he researched the West’s water development and resulting conflict. Previous publications by Daniel Tyler include, The Last Water Hole in the West, WD Farr, Cowboy in the Boardroom, Silver Fox of the Rockies, Love in an Envelope, Bucks County’s Benevolent Squire, and Looking Back At Ninety.
