Riding The Elephant: an Alzheimer's Journey

Diane Porter Goff's intimate and tender account of caring for her mother with Alzheimer's resonates with her poet's voice as she confronts the mental and emotional dilemma of who are you when your own mother no longer recognizes you? Here are inner resources plumbed to the depths. And yet there is laughter.

Mary North, poet

Alzheimer's Care Discussion Points

Discussion points for support groups, classes and family members addressing Alzheimer's disease, elder care and end-of-life issues.

What are the signs of dementia?
What part does genetics play in predisposing to Alzheimer's Disease?
Do diet and exercise play a role in the onset or progression of Alzheimer's Disease?
Who is responsible for decisions regarding living arrangements for a parent who shows signs of dementia?
What are some guidelines for finding an appropriate living facility for an elder with Alzheimer's Disease?
What possible solutions might there be for dealing with an elder's resistance to relinquishing control of his or her life?
As far as financial and legal issues are concerned, what might families want to consider when an elder begins having cognitive difficulties?
What management skills might families employ when caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's Disease?
Are there lessons to be learned from sharing living space with a family member who has Alzheimer's disease?
When might sharing living space with a family member who has Alzheimer's Disease be untenable?
What are some of the ways caregivers can care for themselves in order to prevent burnout?

"When I think of what I know of my parents’ life together‚ I think of two photographs that now sit in my dining room. One was taken toward the beginning of their courtship‚ the other toward the end of Daddy’s life. Both are in black and white. In the first‚ they are standing beside a light-colored Model T Ford...."