Here is a link to a National Public Radio show on the APP produced by Paul Ingles
"In New Mexico, poet Gary Mex Glazner has found that poetry can sometimes have a beneficial effect for people struggling with Alzheimer's disease. Reporter Paul Ingles accompanied Glazner on a recent visit to the Sierra Vista Assisted Living Center in Santa Fe."
Here are comments from Ellen Sue Stern
"I just want to say that
after my mom died
that I wished I had known
during the horrid years of her decline...
we'd be there, watching her eat her napkin,
Maureen screaming, total chaos, mom begging to leave
we'd walk out in total despair
after my mom died
I read writing by individuals
in early stages of dementia
what an eye opener.
they expressed their reality as
nothing like what we were projecting on them, i.e.
we suffered over leaving them
and how horrible it was there
but for them, guess what?
the power of now
they were actually living in the present moment
none of which negates the horror-but
as a family member,
it would have been nice
to know that by the time I was out the door,
she had long forgotten the pain and chaos
that we assumed she was feeling
because its what we were feeling
wow!
I've made a point of sharing
the info with far too many friends
whose parents
are now in some stage
of dementia.
You can read more about her at:
www.ellensuestern.com
She sent them by Facebook as I was preparing
the info about the NPR show and gave
me permission to publish them here.
Hope they are useful!
