Saturday, August 29, 2009

There are many good books out there to read on Alzheimer's. The situations are different for everyone involved. I just picked up a book called 36 DAYS APART BY DEBORAH ANN TORNILLO. In this book she lives in Virgina and her parents live in Texas. She starts by telling us about her phone call from her sister in Feb. 2006 stating that on her visits with mom and dad on Sundays, something didn't seem right. She started noticing little things first like the house was a little messier than usual, no food in the refrigerator, and that their appearance was being neglected. This was hard for Deborah to imagine so she boarded a plane to see for herself.

This started a new change of events. She started on her conquest of searching for answers. Thank heavens for the Internet, and all the information she was able to obtain. In her story she watched with each visit how her parents digressed. She took control of their health affairs, finances, and living arrangements. She became the parent, still trying to let them think they were in charge.

She convinced them to move closer to her, so she could take care of them better,by first moving into an apartment in Virgina. After her mom wondered off one evening she found them an Assisted Living Faculty to live in. As the Alzheimer's disease got worse, they had to be moved to a place that was better equipped in taking care of her parents.

As we read this memoir, we can feel the emotions going through Debbie as she is trying to care for her parents. Her dad who is her 'rock' had a stroke first. His health failed him and with her assurance that mom would be taken care of he went on to be with the Lord. Than 36 days later, her mom followed him. But her mom was able to look at Debbie and say I LOVE YOU, before she passed on.

There are so many different books out there with so many different stories. If you are going through this situation, and have your loved one in a nursing faculty, you may want to read this book and get some in site from Debbie.

Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seabord Press An Imprint of James A. Rock & Co., Pub.
www.mariefostino.com

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