Alzheimer's Daughter by Jean Lee: Preschoolers and Alzheimer's Patients

The Story

Alzheimer’s Daughter introduces the reader to my healthy parents, Ed and Ibby, years before their diagnosis, then recounts painful details as our roles reversed and I became my parents’ parent.

Their disease started as translucent, confused thoughts and ended in a locked memory care unit after a near decade of descent into the opaque world of Alzheimer's.

I began writing Alzheimer’s Daughter one week after my mother's death––when I was stunned, realizing Dad had no memory of her or their 66-year marriage.

I write to pay tribute to the undying spirit at Ed and Ibby's core, and with the hope that the story of their parallel decline might be helpful to others.

Monday, September 8, 2014

Preschoolers and Alzheimer's Patients

When my parents lived in a locked memory care unit, time seemed to pass slowly. Many hours were spent sitting, watching television.

But whenever children entered the unit to visit, residents lit up! My own grandchildren brightened my parent's mood. Dad, who had not played with me much when I was a child, interacted with his great grandchildren, even though he didn't realize they were a part of his family tree.

I was touched by this video which shows preschoolers interacting with memory care patients.

thealzheimerssite.com

Wouldn't it be nice if nursing homes shared walls with preschools, or preschools partnered with senior care facilities for weekly field trips?

1 comment:

Lori said...: What a touching video. So sweet to see the interaction.; September 8, 2014 at 4:08 PM