Gerda Saunders served as the University of Utah’s associate director of Gender Studies until she retired in 2011. That year, her colleagues gave her a leather-bound notebook as a farewell gift. Nine months prior to leaving her job, Sanders was diagnosed with cerebral microvascular disease, a precursor of dementia. She was only sixty-one. In her…
Dementia is a cruel disease. The often slow descent into irreversible mental decline is horrific and traumatizing. Challenges abound at every stage, and not surprisingly, caregivers are at the forefront of the battle. To make matters worse, there’s no known cure for Alzheimer’s. For caregivers, hope often proves elusive. Fortunately, there are many books on…
As the leaves turn and winter approaches, many of us anticipate the holiday season with joy. We reminisce about the year and look forward to family gatherings. We also browse the Internet for gift ideas, thumb through our favorite recipes, and put on holiday music. Yet, for many, the holiday season inspires loneliness, sadness, and…
Many of us saw our parents as superheroes during our childhoods. They were there when we needed them. They kissed away our cuts and scrapes, destroyed scary shadows, and fought the boogie man. We never imagined anything could defeat them. Then we grew up, and our parents got older. Now, it’s time for us to…
You probably know somebody who has taken on the role of caregiver, or you might be one yourself. This means you know firsthand how much time goes into the labor of love that is caregiving; time that can eventually drain a person’s physical and mental well-being if it isn’t balanced by activities that keep the…