The Pianist's Only Daughter: A Memoir by Kathryn Betts Adams

May 08, 2024 4:15 am

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Hello ,

Most of us have probably heard “When you meet one person with dementia, you’ve met one person with dementia,” inferring that the disease manifestations can be quite varied for each person experiencing this disease. On the flip side, it is also true that there can be similarities in our caregiving experiences. I found this to be “oh, so true,” when I read Kathryn Betts Adams gripping memoir, “The Pianist’s Only Daughter.” The memoir resonated with me, as the author described many of the same situations and emotions I felt when caring for both my parents. Even though the journey with my parents ended fifteen years ago, I realized I still carry many of the memories of that time close to my heart. Reading this book was cathartic, my tears very real.

This memoir is an honest account of a difficult time. Adams has captured the “weight of responsibility” many of us feel along the journey; that feeling of second-guessing the decisions I felt forced to make. Had I made the right choice? Was it the best choice for my parents? Her story offers both support and hope.

Kathryn shares: I sincerely hope that readers at any stage in their journey with aging, impaired loved ones will find this memoir to be relatable, moving, entertaining, informative and overall, reassuring.

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Now available for preorder! A collection of poetry on the dementia journey from AlzAuthors. Here you will find a variety of voices writing from different stages of caregiving: pre-diagnosis, after the diagnosis, years of care, end of life, and beyond. You will encounter voices from the many different caregiving situations: caring for a spouse or partner, a mother, father, grandparent, or sibling. You will experience the pain, fear, and joy that accompanies a dementia diagnosis, as well as the love and the loss. In Kindle and paperback on Amazon.

Pre-order now!

Save the Date! We're hosting a reading with the poets

June 3rd at 4 pm EST via Zoom. Details will come to your inbox.

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It's Nurses Week!

National Nurses Week gives us an opportunity to appreciate the nurses in our lives, including our AlzAuthors nurse authors, and reminds us of all the ways they contribute to the health and well-being of those we love. Discover great books - memoir, fiction, caregiver guides, children's, poetry, and more - written by nurses who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the pages.

Discover great books here!

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Free Screening for Mother’s Day

From Kitty Norton, blogger at Stumped Town Dementia and producer of the documentary Wine, Women, & Dementia:

I am thrilled to announce that

Wine, Women, & Dementia has been selected for distribution to public television stations nationwide. You heard me right, caregirls and careboys: PBS is about to get dementia'd! Oh good golly! This means instead of scratching and clawing our way to thousands of viewers, WWD now has the potential to reach an audience of millions! Our message to "Celebrate Caregivers!" just doubled, tripled, octupled its prospects for impact! (Yeah, I looked up octupled. Did you?) WWD will be distributed nationally to public television stations via NETA, a national program distributor and public media affiliate that serves PBS, working with stations throughout the states to provide access to relevant and compelling programming. We are going to cut a special 1-hour version that is more attractive to PBS station programmers, with the goal of having underwriters secured and the film packaged and delivered by August 1st, in time to be an optimal choice for programming during November's National Family Caregiver Month. Here’s how you can watch it over Mother’s Day Weekend for FREE ( a voluntary donation would be much appreciated and very helpful):

SPECIAL SCREENING WINDOW U.S.!

Friday, May 10 - Sunday, May 12, 2024

Wine, Women, & Dementia

Whether you are a mother, or supporting one, we honor you

with this FREE online screening weekend in honor of

Mother's Day Weekend, May 10 - 12.

Grab a "Be Our Guest" ticket or support the film

with a donation in any amount you choose.

Register HERE

This is an exclusive screening and special event for

U.S. residents only. Don't worry rest of the world,

we're coming for you too.

SPECIAL SCREENING WINDOW UK!

Monday, May 13 - Sunday, May 19, 2024

Welcome, UK & Southern Ireland, to your

Premiere of Wine, Women, & Dementia

We offer this FREE online premiere,

during Dementia Action Week, May 13 - 19.

Grab a "Be Our Guest" ticket or support the film

with a donation in any amount you choose.

Register HERE

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Are You Caring for a Mother?

Download now!

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Writing Workshop for Caregivers

In this virtual writing workshop for caregivers, you'll explore writing with prompts drawn from examples of poetry, nonfiction, fiction passages, or images. You'll have the the opportunity to share your work aloud in a supportive setting. While the focus is on caregiving, additional prompts will allow you to explore other aspects of your identity.

May 14th from 5 pm to 7 pm EST with Kensington Senior Living

Annette Januzzi Wick is a writer, teacher, speaker, and author of I’ll Have Some of Yours: What my mother taught me about dementia, music, cookies, outside, and her life inside a care home. Pauletta Hansel’s ten poetry collections include Heartbreak Tree, which won the Poetry Society of Virginia’s North American Book Award, and Palindrome, about caregiving her mother with dementia, won Berea College’s Weatherford Award in Poetry.

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Our Next AlzAuthors Live! Event

Please join us for an AlzAuthors Live! virtual panel discussion on LGBTQ+ Caregiver Concerns on Wednesday, May 22 at 6 pm EST. We’ll talk about family of origin vs. family of choice, stigma and discrimination, legal issues, and location location location! because where you live will dictate what kind of experience you’re going to have. We’ll also touch on current events and the threats to LGBTQ+ rights. There’s a lot to cover in an hour. Presented with our partners at Kensington Senior Living.

Details and Registration

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May's Book Club Read

Join us on May 28th at 7pm EST when we discuss Somebody Stole My Iron: A Family Memoir of Dementia by AlzAuthors founder and manager Vicki Tapia.

Description: Navigating the waters of dementia can be frightening, unleashing a myriad of emotions for everyone involved. After Vicki Tapia’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, followed closely by her father with Parkinson’s disease-related dementia, she struggled to find practical, helpful information to light her way. Somebody Stole My Iron began as a diary to help her cope, but emerged as a road map for others. It offers a glimpse into her family's life as they rode the waves of dementia, sometimes sailing, other times capsizing. This engaging memoir offers useful information from experts within the field of Alzheimer's research, personal lessons the author learned along the way, and ideas and tips for managing the day-to-day ups and downs of dementia. Read Vicki's AlzAuthors post.

Remember: it is not necessary to read the book to attend the discussion.

To learn more or to become a member, please visit agingamazing.com.

Register here to get the link to the Zoom meetings.

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We have so much to learn …

Two thirds of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are women. In addition, research shows that Alzheimer’s biomarker tau protein accumulates differently and more quickly in women’s brains. Researchers like Rosalind Franklin University’s Lise Eliot are investigating how differences in brain structure for men and women are impacting Alzheimer’s risk. On Friday, May 10th, at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET, Eliot joins Being Patient Live Talks to discuss these gender differences in the brain and the current research in this space.

Eliot is a professor of neuroscience in the Chicago Medical School of Rosalind Franklin University. Her research centers on brain and gender development, focusing particularly on the role of neuroplasticity in translating early life experience into neural circuitry. She is the author of two books, What’s Going On in There? How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life (Bantam), and Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow Into Troublesome Gaps (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). RSVP to this live talk to learn more about gender differences in brain structure and what this means for Alzheimer’s research.

RSVP Here!

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New Podcast Series on Alzheimer’s

The Rethinking Alzheimer's Disease Podcast from Health Unmuted is an engaging, narrative-style podcast miniseries for those curious or motivated to learn about Alzheimer’s disease. Perhaps you have a family member with Alzheimer’s disease, or care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease. Perhaps you consider yourself or your loved ones at risk for Alzheimer’s disease and want to hear more about the journey and actions you can take.

Told by people with lived experience of Alzheimer's disease, as well as caregivers and health experts, the Rethinking Alzheimer's Disease Podcast answers common questions about Alzheimer's disease, including: what Alzheimer's disease is, how it starts, what signs to look out for, and most importantly, how you can take action to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, or slow its progression.

Listen on your favorite podcast platforms by visiting this link:

Start Listening

There’s also a companion guide available here:

Companion Guide

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Susan's Design of the Week

Please share this with your friends and followers on social media using the following text:

Resilience is woven deeply into the fabric of every caregiver. Every challenge we face makes us stronger. AlzAuthors provides hundreds of trusted resources to offer insight and support for the #Alzheimer's and dementia journey. https://alzauthors.com/

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