LOVE, LOSS, AND LAUGHTER

'Love, Loss and Laughter' van Cathy Greenblat, is een boek met portretten van mensen met dementie in de VS, de Dominicaanse Republiek, Japan en India. Het is een geslaagde poging om te laten zien dat mensen die aan dementie lijden niet leeg zijn, zonder enige emotie. Integendeel.

Kerry dancing with Bridget at the Passover party • USA - Kerry Mills is now a “dementia coach”, after a decade of administration in specialized residential communities. Her presence brings sunshine into the room, and every resident at Hearthstone this day responded to her with delight. She danced with many of them for almost an hour while Linda sang.  To me, Kerry is the “ideal caregiver”, and my mother, who benefitted from her loving attention for several years, felt the same way.

Ashwani and Didi Laughing • India

Enjoying the bamboo garden • Japan - The doors from this group home in suburban Kyoto are not locked, though there is careful surveillance to make sure residents do not leave the grounds unaccompanied. This woman loved going outdoors, breathing the fresh air, and admiring the bamboo garden next door. Recent research suggests that by sitting in a Japanese garden for brief periods, Alzheimer’s patients can experience reduced stress and enhanced well-being.

Elsa • Dominican Republic - Elsa and one of her 10 siblings were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Elsa left school after 4th grade and stayed home helping her mother, not dating and never marrying.The other sister was outgoing, a professional, married with several children. But Elsa is featured on the Alzheimer’s Disease International’s 2011 World Alzheimer’s Day poster!