I'm trolling around the Internet reading stories.
I see this letter written by a reader on the Chicago Daily Herald. It starts with Jim Hinkle describing his recent visit to see his wife who suffers from Alzheimer's disease.
I recently visited my wife to celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary, and I was a little overwhelmed with our situation. I know that right now she has a black eye from a fall to the floor, a knot on her head from a second fall, and a broken arm from a third fall; all these occurring recently because her brain just can't tell her body to slow down and be careful when she walks the halls of the nursing home.--Jim Hinkle, loving husbandIf you read the entire letter you will see that Jim is a wonderful man.
However, I wonder what my reaction would be if I visited my mother in a Alzheimer's facility and learned she had a black eye, knot on her head, and a broken arm?
Would I go nuts? Hard to say. It would depend on what side of my brain I decided to use that day. One thing is certain, I would not stand for the status quo.
Then I started asking myself, what would be worse. The situation described above, or my mother all drugged up and looking like a zombie?
Whew. These are not pleasant thoughts. To make matters worse, I know this is happening all over the world as I write these words.
To read Jim's words go here.
Let me make it clear, I am not not knocking Jim Hinkle. I have complete and total empathy for him. Sometimes, there is no good alternative.
Feel free to add opinions, suggestions, or advice.
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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.