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Coming Home
December 2015 I live in a condo on the second floor, and the woman below me died of Parkinson’s back in July. Mary lived there with live-in caregivers. I could tell she was an elegant woman with style. But it’s hard to be elegant and with style when you have advanced...
read moreLetter from long time friend, Mike
Richard's long time friend, Mike wrote this letter after a trip to see us while Richard was in assisted living. Good friends meant so much and stuck with us every step of the way. 19 August 2015 Dear Richard: It was really great to see you last week. I enjoyed seeing...
read moreAn excellent resource: The Caregiver’s Guide to Lewy Body Dementia
I wish I had known about this book years ago when my dear husband Richard was just starting to exhibit the signs of Lewy body dementia. At the time, I didn't even know what Lewy body dementia was. I could have learned faster and been smarter with less anxiety of the...
read moreTwelve Ways My Dear Husband’s Dementia Taught Me to Be a Better Consultant
June 21, 2015 Article for the MJFF (Michael J. Fox Foundation) and my blog http://www.avasbutler.com I am an organizational development consultant specializing in transformational change. I’m also the wife of my dear Richard. We’ve been happily married for almost 24...
read moreMoving to Assisted Living
January 2015 I discovered there are people who specialize in finding care facilities for your loved ones—like a real estate person for those with special needs. This is a fantastic notion and a tremendous help. Margaret Roberts came to our home to interview us and...
read moreI Want My Husband Back, But He Can’t Make It
26 December 2014 My best friend and love for 23 years has Parkinson's disease and dementia It seems long ago when we were happy and healthy Full of joy and adventure Blessed with a life of travel and good fortune Many were envious The perfect couple Smart, good...
read morePeeing Our Way to Assisted Living
9 December 2014 Things are getting worse. Richard was incontinent at night again and can’t understand that he needs to use the toilet not the floor. Damn you, Parkinson’s and dementia. We’ve had several more accidents where he has peed the floor, including three times...
read moreWhat Richard Sees: Insight into Hallucinations Associated with Lewy Body Dementia
Persistent and recurring visual hallucinations are often an early symptom of Lewy Body Dementia - LBD. This was true for my husband, Richard. Not all LBD hallucinations are fear based, but Richard’s were. His ability to communicate clearly has been impacted, and...
read moreProgress in the Wrong Direction
20 March 2013 It’s the first day of spring already. Richard has been having a bad week, feeling poorly, and having difficulty accomplishing tasks. I really need to write in my journal more. This could be a good record of his situation. We’re going to Dr. Ramsey, a...
read moreModern Medicine Failed Us and without Emotional Intelligence
April 2013 Richard and I were looking for so many ways to fight the inevitable—anything we could find to help him with his Parkinson’s and dementia. We went to the University of Arizona’s neurology department for insights. It’s a teaching hospital, so there were...
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