The Art of Alzheimer’s began as a celebration of my mother, Jean McFee Raichle. Living with mid-stage Alzheimer’s and devastated by the death of Robert, her husband and best friend of 72 years, she found solace in an Elderwise® painting class. While she hadn’t painted since childhood, her paintings were mesmerizing—enabling her to express her… Continue reading An announcement from The Art of Alzheimer’s
She wanted her mother to laugh. The she found a comic named Sue. Dani wanted her mother Muriel to laugh. She had watched her becoming more and more bored and disengaged from life around her. And then she found Sue, a comic who wanted to work with seniors. And with patience and genuine good humor,… Continue reading A comic named Sue
Distilled to her essence. As I reread my accounts of living in the moment with Mom, I am struck by her enduring sense of humor. This is from August 6, 2014. She was 95, with late-stage Alzheimer’s and very, very funny. We sit down for our Scrabble game with my usual opening gambit. … Continue reading Distilled to her essence
Last week I was swimming with dolphins. I wasn’t in a pool. I was wearing a VR headset. It was amazing. Dolphins all around me. I looked to my right to see one edging closer to get a better look at me. Not alarming. Quite restful. And really, really fun. People ask me how we are… Continue reading VR for Memory Loss and Dementia
When I am stressed, overworked and beset by deadlines of every kind, I head to Assisted Living and the comfort of real time. This tends to confound my friends who think that such a visit would only add to my stress, but I find it to be not only peaceful and relaxed but one of… Continue reading A relaxing, joyful visit to Assisted Living
The Art of Alzheimer's 