When Alzheimer's strikes, the Alzheimer's caregiver is often thrust into their role with little or no experience, training, or education about Alzheimer's disease. As a result, they are often overwhelmed and suffer from feelings of helplessness. Do you remember that feeling?Unlike other Alzheimer's websites, the Alzheimer's Reading Room tries to feature real life situations, and practical advice about how to deal with situations that are often faced by Alzheimer's caregivers. We also cover developments like clinical trials, advances in medicine and science, and any story that brings hope to the often --very alone.
What we don't do is try to be everything to everyone. We specialize in advice and insight that can be used, hands on. Focus.
While we are not unique, it is my belief that we are doing a good job of helping caregivers come to the realization that they are not alone. It is my belief if you don't come to the understanding that--you are not alone--you could very well go in the other direction and become depressed.
At least once a week, I receive an email from someone that found the Alzheimer's Reading Room for the first time, and then takes the time to thank me for the useful information. Sometimes the information they are referring to is more than a year old. This is one thing I like about the Internet. The information has a long life.
Every article on this site goes into an archive. More importantly, every article and every comment gets indexed by Google. This is how most people find us for the first time--Google search. We do not advertise.
Now to the point of this article.
You might be surprised to learn that when I use the word "we" on this website, I am referring to you the reader and me (the one man band behind this website).
When you comment, you add an extra dimension to each article. So as far as I am concerned you are a part of the effort called the Alzheimer's Reading Room.
You might be commenting on the article, adding your experience, adding a link to additional information, or telling us about your own way of dealing with a common problem faced by other Alzheimer's caregivers.
The subscriber list to this blog is loaded with people that have all kinds of experience with Alzheimer's. Some of you are professionals, but many of us learned how to deal with Alzheimer's by talking to others, attending support groups, or trying out our own ideas with good result.
Could you imagine how much we could accomplish if we could unleash the collect brain of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. All 898 brains.
This is not a lecture, but I want to ask you, why aren't you commenting more often?
There are many things that can happen when someone reads your comment. At the minimum, you send that message that I believe is so important--You are not alone. The simple realization that others are going through the same experience is somehow--empowering.
It could turn out that your comment makes a difference in someone's life.
When you take the time to comment, the Alzheimer's Reading Room becomes a place of support for others. A kind of virtual support group.
When you take the time to comment you also broaden the article, and increase the possibility that someone finds it through a search on Google.
My point here is very simple. You can make a difference if you take the time to comment and share.
If fact, it might be your comment that makes a big difference in the life of someone suffering from Alzheimer's, or in the life of an Alzheimer's caregiver. The big difference.
One thing for sure, if you don't comment then it can't happen.
I am convinced that the collective experience of the subscribers to this website is significant.
I'll continue to try and figure out how to unleash the collective brain of the Alzheimer's Reading Room for the benefit of others as we move into the future together.
More from the Alzheimer's Reading Room
- The Alzheimer's Reading Room--Press Release
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- Questions About Test Your Memory (TYM) for Alzheimers and Dementia
- Dimebon Clinical Trial?
- The Thyroid and Alzheimer's
- Are Alzheimer's Caregivers the Forgotten?
- Flavanol-rich Cocoa Consumption Improves Blood Flow to the Brain
- A Simple Three Minute Test Can Detect the Earliest Stage of Alzheimer's Disease
- Eli Lilly Launches Two Late Stage Clinical Trials for Alzheimer's (LY2062430)
- Is it Really Alzheimer's or Something Else?
- Wii a Useful Tool for Alzheimer's Caregivers
- Five Ways to Keep Alzheimer's Away
- 2009 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures
- The Mini-Cog Test for Alzheimer's and Dementia
- What is Dementia?
- A Real Solution to the Health Care Crisis
- 80 Percent of Medical Bills Contain Errors -- Fighting Mistakes
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.