We took Simon out to a fancy restaurant to celebrate his impending 50th birthday. We had a laugh-filled evening, despite it being harder...

My brother Simon is here for a visit! He is all laughter and warm hugs, and it is a pleasure to be around him. I arrived early at my...

Dealing with a parent with Alzheimer's is mercurial, with ups and downs on a moment-by-moment basis and I often think I'm overly focused...

When my dad was away in September, in my naiveté, I thought it would be easy to drive Mom and myself and her caregiver Sahlee to my home...

When I was younger, I remember visiting a friend with a new baby. I must have obsessed about the baby crying, worrying and wondering and...

I grew up singing John Prines’ song “Dear Abby,” a humorous look at the kinds of people who write to advice columnists. Be satisfied with...

Why don’t any of the Alzheimer’s books or websites prepare you for the rage? Or your helplessness and guilt when you can’t defuse it?...

I feel like I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole into an Alzheimer’s version of Naomi in Wonderland. My dad flew to Miami two days ago, and I...

I can’t decide which film I like best, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory or The Frisco Kid. There are others, of course, including...

When a fuse blew in my parent's apartment, at first my dad couldn't find the source of the incident. It seemed localized to their...

I took Mom to get a blood test today but we left the clinic with her veins intact. We got to the clinic, took a number, and sang a few...

There’s a Hebrew idiom, “al ta’am v’reyach ein l’hitvake’ach,” which literally translates to, “on taste and smell it is impossible to...

I lost my temper today. Not at Mom, but at her hairdresser, the one who has been cutting her hair for about 20 years. When I called last...

Life’s gifts are to be found everywhere: In suddenly seeing a problem from a different perspective, in offering of yourself to a friend,...

We’ve been watching National Geographic’s Emmy-nominated series, “Brain Games.” With interactive games and hidden cameras, this show...

I am learning that it is often best not to delay or challenge Mom’s instincts when she’s in a bad mood. The sticky, humid heat is getting...

Many of my friends are taking on the responsibility of caring for their elderly parents. We all go through the same process of realizing...

Whenever I’m with my extended family at an event, I always feel torn between my sense of responsibility and my desire to enjoy myself....

Mom doesn't like to drink water. I'll hand her a glass, and when she takes a sip, she invariably says, "Uch. It's tasteless." Water is...

Mom doesn't seem so excited to see me this morning. When I knock on the door, I hear my dad tell her a surprise visitor is arriving. And...