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22ndCenturyMedia.com active aging Guide<br />
22nd century media | october 19, 2017 | 5<br />
Living and loving with Alzheimer’s and dementia<br />
As the story goes, an<br />
elderly gentleman hurried<br />
from his doctor’s appointment<br />
to join his wife for<br />
breakfast, as he did every<br />
day, at the memory care<br />
community where she<br />
lived. The doctor asked<br />
why he continued to go<br />
faithfully when the wife<br />
no longer knew who he<br />
was.<br />
“Because,” he replied,<br />
“I still know who she is.”<br />
At Autumn Leaves’<br />
memory care assisted living<br />
communities, we see<br />
this kind of devotion every<br />
day, and are equally<br />
devoted to helping loved<br />
ones stay connected while<br />
facing this heartbreaking<br />
disease.<br />
Changing roles, not hearts<br />
Clair Jameson, Autumn<br />
Leaves’ life engagement<br />
director, remembers Alice<br />
and her husband, Durward,<br />
who visited every day,<br />
bringing Alice’s favorite<br />
cookies.<br />
“My role has changed,<br />
but not my love for her,<br />
or hers for me,” Durward<br />
said.<br />
Wise words, said Jameson.<br />
“When a spouse has<br />
dementia, the relationship<br />
must change as the disease<br />
progresses,” she said. “The<br />
love is still there. The love<br />
is still strong, but the relationship<br />
must adjust to<br />
new realities.”<br />
Jameson recalled another<br />
couple’s devotion.<br />
“Perry visited Nathalie<br />
daily to work in the garden,”<br />
she said. “Gardening<br />
kept them connected to<br />
their past. Whatever they<br />
enjoyed together before,<br />
he tried to bring to her here<br />
and now.”<br />
Keeping love alive<br />
Dementia care author<br />
Jolene Brackey notes, “A<br />
spouse may not recognize<br />
you, but the love is still<br />
very much alive.”<br />
A wife may be expecting<br />
a younger version of<br />
her husband. So even if<br />
she doesn’t recognize the<br />
older man who visits every<br />
day, she remembers her<br />
husband and still feels affection<br />
for him.<br />
Brackey likes to tell the<br />
story of a woman with Alzheimer’s<br />
who no longer<br />
recognized her husband,<br />
Bud. At one visit, Bud<br />
gently stroked his wife’s<br />
cheek, a gesture of affection<br />
they’d shared over the<br />
years.<br />
Not knowing who he<br />
was, the woman told him,<br />
“I’m sorry, sir, but my<br />
heart belongs to Bud.”<br />
Submitted by Autumn Leaves<br />
of Orland Park, 8021 W.<br />
151st St. in Orland Park. For<br />
more information, visit www.<br />
autumnleaves.com, or call<br />
(708) 543-6747.<br />
Memory Care Assisted Living Made Better. By Design.<br />
Then<br />
Ernie’s fielding skills were legendary.<br />
Now<br />
He’s still an MVP.<br />
Autumn Leaves’ award-winning care for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia builds upon each<br />
resident’s life portrait. So whether he was a ball player, builder, or biologist, every aspect of his care and routine<br />
is personalized to his wants, needs, and life history – to promote cognition, serenity, and meaningful moments.<br />
AUTUMN LEAVES OF ORLAND PARK<br />
8021 W. 151st Street | Orland Park, IL 60462 | 708-403-2400<br />
AutumnLeaves.com<br />
License#5103923
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