Navigating Dementia with Faith, Forgiveness, and Freedom with Dorothy Horne

Oct 15, 2024 11:36 pm

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Hello ,

Have you heard these myths about faith's role in caregiving?

Myth 1: Faith won't make a difference in the practical challenges.
Myth 2: Caregivers must be perfect in their faith to make a difference.
Myth 3: Faith won't alleviate the emotional toll of caregiving.

Let's unravel them with our guest Dorothy Horne in this replay of Books & Chit Chat with Aging & Amazing.

Dorothy, a retired first-grade teacher and former columnist for a local newspaper, brings a unique perspective to the conversation as she shares her caregiving journey with her husband, Byron, diagnosed in 2011 with early onset Alzheimer’s at age 62. He passed away on May 29, 2018. Through her faith and resilience, Dorothy has found moments of grace and strength in the midst of the challenges of dementia caregiving. Her heartfelt reflections and personal experiences offer valuable insights into the role of faith in navigating the complexities of Alzheimer's and dementia, providing inspiration and support for others on similar paths. She has shared these insights in two books: Glimpses of Grace: Walking in Hope Through Alzheimer's and Ordinary Days and Glimpses of Grace: And Grace Will Lead Us Home.

Listen to podcast

Watch on YouTube!

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In Case You Missed It …

In this podcast, Allene Symons, tells her story of encountering breast cancer while caring for her husband Allen, who had Lewy Body dementia. She also reveals how COVID affected their journey. But this is not a tale of gloom. "There were bright moments too," she says. One source of joy she and Allen enjoyed was their butterfly garden, which provided them with a purpose and a shared passion. It became an important part of their caregiving rituals that also included their home caregivers. A connection to nature is useful therapy, she says. Step into her story to discover how a caregiver survived a number of life's crises while balancing beauty and wonder.

Listen to podcast

Watch on YouTube!

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Replay of Caring for a Wife with Alzheimer’s or Dementia is Now Available

Men are caregivers, too. We hear from three husbands who delve into the deeply personal and challenging experiences of caring for a spouse with dementia. Featuring heartfelt stories from guests Richard Creighton, Scott Rose, and Tio Stib, this episode offers valuable insights, practical advice, and a powerful reminder that you’re not alone on this journey.

Start listening!

Watch on You Tube

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What's Next for the Book Club

Please join us for our next book club discussion on Tuesday, October 29th at 7 pm EST via Zoom as we meet Carolyn Birrell, author of Walking with Fay, My Mother's Uncharted Path into Dementia. Her book starts, "In 2012, I flew down to Georgia to kidnap my mother.” From there we are taken on a rollercoaster of a journey with Carolyn, the unprepared caregiver, learning on the job, making mistakes, owning up to them, and doing the best she could in an impossible situation.

Readers say:

"This book gives you a day to day view of what to expect and how to understand the progression ahead of you."

"Carolyn provides a very flowing story and includes her honest feelings, which sometimes are not very positive, and gives caregivers the knowledge that these feelings are natural and felt by many, many others."

"Walking With Fay is a brutally honest, often uncomfortable book to read. But most importantly, it is a book that I will recommend to any friend (or acquaintance) who shares with me that they are dealing with a loved one with dementia."

Remember: it’s not necessary to read the books to attend the discussion. All are welcome. Please invite your family and friends for a vigorous discussion.

Buy the book

Learn more about Carolyn

Register here to get the link to the Zoom meetings

Coming in December

Our November meeting will be held on December 10th due to the Thanksgiving holiday. We're reading Sisterly Shove: A Fight to the Death Against Pancreatic Cancer and Dementia by Malia Kline.

To learn more about the book club or to become a member, please visit agingamazing.com.

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Introducing Recommended Reads

Our recent decision to limit the number of featured authors and their books to 12 per year is a strategic one. It allows AlzAuthors to focus on the most exceptional books and provide readers with a curated list of high-quality options. However, we also recognize that many other books deserve recognition for their contributions to the field. Our new Recommended Reads category allows us to highlight additional notable books that may not have made the featured author list. This is a valuable way to promote these books and ensure that readers are aware of the wide range of resources available to them. Directing readers to the book's Amazon sales page allows them to easily purchase the books they are interested in, and provides the authors with a direct link to potential sales. The creation of the AlzAuthors Recommended Reads category is a positive development that will benefit both readers and authors in the Alzheimer's and dementia caregiving space. Here’s the first:

This useful caregiver guide recently caught our attention. It is written by a family doctor about all dementias and across all stages.

Dementia Care Confidence: 3 Steps to Transform Family Caregiving with Confident Care Leadership by Dr. Anna Thomas, MD

View on Amazon

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AlzAuthors Featured on Nursing & the Arts Podcast

Our co-founder Marianne Sciucco recently guested on the podcast "Nursing and the Arts," hosted by Susan J. Farese, an AlzAuthors contributor. They discussed Marianne's nursing career as well as her writing journey and the creation of AlzAuthors. Susan is the author of "Poetic Expressions in Nursing," a collection of poetry featuring "Ann's Zest Ends," her tribute to her grandmother, who endured Alzheimer's in the 1960's. Learn more about Susan on our website.

Listen here!

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Download "When Dad Has Dementia"

Discover 18 memoirs written about caring for a father with dementia in this compilation from our authors. Buy links included.

Download now!

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Coming Up Next: Events, Pods & Book Club

10/29 - Books and Chit Chat with Carolyn Birrell, Walking with Fay

10/30 - NEW AUTHOR: Helena Popovic, In Search of My Father: Dementia is no match for a daughter's determination (Outwitting Alzheimer's Book 1)

11/13 - Carolyn Birell Book Club Replay

11/19 - “Caring for Two Parents with Dementia at the Same Time,” a virtual panel discussion

11/27 - NO POD Thanksgiving (US) Break

12/4 - NEW AUTHOR: Allison Applebaum, Stand By Me: A Guide to Navigating Modern, Meaningful Caregiving

12/10 - Books & Chit Chat with Malia Kline, Sisterly Shove

12/25 - HOLIDAY BREAK - NO POD

1/1 - HOLIDAY BREAK - NO POD

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Email address update

You may have tried to reach out to one of us using our personal @alzauthors email addresses and hit a dead end. That's because when we made the changes to our website we lost access to those email addresses. Please update your contacts to reflect our current, working email addresses. You can also contact us through our general email at AlzAuthors@gmail.com. Thank you! And we apologize for any confusion.

Marianne Sciucco: podcast host/producer

mariannesciucco@gmail.com

Jean Lee: acquisitions editor, Custom Caregiver Collections

jean@alzheimersdaughter.com

Vicki Tapia: acquisitions editor, children's books

vicki.tapia@gmail.com

Ann Campanella: Custom Caregiver Collections

anncampanella@gmail.com

Susan Landeis: Custom Caregiver Collections

contact@susanlandeis.com

Christy Byrne Yates: podcast host/producer, YouTube channel manager

christy@christyyates.com

Ruth Stevens: acquisitions editor, fiction

ruth@ruthfstevens.com

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Purchase our latest Anthology "Poetry for the Dementia Journey"

43 poets, 117 poems written from personal experience

Available in paperback and Kindle

Buy now!

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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, copy, paste and hit send!

Hope fuels our resilience and helps us face life's challenges.

#AlzAuthors shares inspirational stories and valuable #Alzheimers

and #dementia resources to help you face tomorrow with

renewed strength and optimism! https://alzauthors.com/

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