By Marianne Sciucco, New York, US
Caring for a wife with Alzheimer’s or dementia brings to caregiving its own special set of circumstances and considerations. In this AlzAuthors Live! Virtual Q&A we explore these changes and challenges with three of our authors. Their stories will inspire and empower you on your own dementia journey with your wife or partner.
Discussion Topics:
• Seeing your wife (and yourself) in a new light after a dementia diagnosis
• Dealing with a forever altered relationship
• Becoming a caregiver
• Maintaining familial roles
• Handling the many losses of dementia
• Managing behavior changes
• Collaborating with family
• Coping with grief
• Handing care over to outside carers, i.e. home care, assisted living, memory care
Online Event Details
The free virtual event was recorded on Monday, September 30th at 2 pm EST via Zoom. The event was free, but donations are welcome.
Meet Our Panelists
Richard Creighton is a former college professor and business owner. He and his wife, Kate, met in college and have been married for 61 years. They have a daughter and a son and five grandchildren. Caregiving has been a central part of their lives since the Fall of 1989 when Kate’s father had a stroke. Three of their parents were cared for and died at home, his father in the hospital. Kate’s mother lived in their home for almost 5 ½ years with 24/7 care provided through an agency. Through those experiences Richard learned much about the health issues, living arrangements, and personal care for people with dementia. Kate was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s two years before his dad died. He says that his experiences with their parents has helped him to be a better primary care partner for Kate. She is now in Stage 7 Alzheimer’s and has required total care for 3 ½ years. Their world is much smaller now, but they still enjoy life and each other. Richard blogs about their Alzheimer’s journey at Living with Alzheimer’s.com. You can also follow his story at X/Twitter. Learn more about Richard at AlzAuthors.com.
Scott Rose cared for his wife, Maureen, diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), for three and
half years, until her passing in 2019. He shares their love story in his book, We Danced: Our Story of Love and Dementia, a memoir including caregiving tips and mileposts recounting symptoms and events through real-time journal entries. Scott facilitates a regional caregiver support group in Oregon as well as a national men’s caregiver support group, both as a volunteer for AFTD, The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration. Scott continues to raise FTD awareness through book readings, talks, and podcast interviews with BeingPatient.com and Reme
Tio Stib In January 2013, Tio Stib lost his sight, and his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Suddenly, the adventurous life they’d enjoyed became a dramatically different journey. As a way to cope, he began to blog, using prose and poetry to describe their altered path in life. His blog evolved into a book, My Dementia Diary: A blind caregiver’s journey with his wife and her dementia, his his recounting of their seven-year journey, a story sometimes humorous, often poignant, and always intimate, the story of how a blind man became the sole caregiver for his wife on their dementia journey. Learn more about Tio at AlzAuthors.com.
Meet the Moderators
Please contact alzauthors@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.
2 Responses
Would like to sign up for this.
Thanks for reaching out. We recorded the event and it will be released in a few days on our podcast and YouTube channel. I’ll add you to the list so you get the replay. Marianne Sciucco