"stand your ground" follow-up
Back in December, I wrote about the sad case where an elderly Alzheimer's patient was shot to death under the "stand your ground" law, which allows you to shoot basically anyone you feel like shooting if you can claim you are threatened.To quickly recap, Mr Ronald Westbrook was wandering at night with his dog, lost, and went to the wrong house.  The people called the police, but then also went outside and shot the old man, killing him.Now the DA has decided that this sort of behavior is perfectly acceptable and no charges are to be filed against the cowardly young man who was afraid of an old man.I know all too well t...
Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog - March 1, 2014 Category: Dementia Authors: GBP })i({ Source Type: blogs

Look at Them Swim
This is the essay I submitted to Chicken Soup for the Dementia Soul.  I did not hear back from them, and the book comes out on 4/22/2014, and you're supposed to hear back two months before.  So here it is for your enjoyment, and  you don't have to buy the book.Look at Them SwimDementia is a terrible disease and as it progresses, most days are filled with incidents we’d rather forget.  But every once in a while, there are brief moments of joy and laughter.My dad had Alzheimer’s for four years, and his first symptoms were speech-related (aphasia).  As the disease progressed, what he had to say be...
Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog - February 6, 2014 Category: Dementia Authors: GBP })i({ Source Type: blogs

dementia patient hit by train
The first time my dad went missing, he was really lost.  The second time, though, he was angry.  He was going to go walk in front of a truck.  He wouldn't get into my car (once he was located) and it took a police officer to get him into a vehicle and home.It's really hard to judge how much people with dementia retain.  The last time I saw my dad before his catastrophic head injury, he surprised me by hugging me and saying he loved me.  Did he know who I was that day, or was he just happy "that girl who helps me" came to visit him at the nursing home?  I'd like to think it's the former.  ...
Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog - February 3, 2014 Category: Dementia Authors: GBP })i({ Source Type: blogs

Stroke damage = vascular dementia
An update on Alzheimer’s Aunt: after many delays, she finally went to a throat specialist. He found that her throat was 60% closed (if I understand it correctly; this is 3d hand information filtered through her) and she has one or more throat polyps. He “opened” her throat while she was under anesthesia and then she was required to take some “suspension” drug for 30 days. Turns out her insurance didn’t pay for that drug and it was $300 so someone made the decision simply not to get it for her.Fast forward two weeks to Thanksgiving at my mom’s house. I was sick that whole week and my mom was going to mov...
Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog - December 11, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: GBP })i({ Source Type: blogs

“Stand your ground” against dementia patients!
Mr Ronald WestbrookThis should never have happened, and it makes me indescribably sad. Ronald Westbrook, age 72, a man with advanced Alzheimer’s, was shot in the chest 4 times as an intruder under the “stand your ground” line of thinking where you can shoot anyone you feel is threatening you. No charges were filed against the shooter.Mr. Westbrook wandered from his home in the middle of a cold night, dressed inappropriately for the weather, with his two dogs. At 2:30 a.m. a police officer questioned him but apparently was satisfied that the man lived in the area and was walking his dogs.About 90 minutes later, 3...
Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog - December 11, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: GBP })i({ Source Type: blogs

Vote for me!
If I win I will donate the money to Alzheimer's research. Thank you. You can vote once per day with Twitter and with Facebook.  Healthline"Had a Dad" Alzheimer's Blog http://alzheimersdad.blogspot.com (c) Gevera Bert Piedmont })i({ Thank you for visiting! (Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog)
Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog - December 11, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: GBP })i({ Source Type: blogs

5 years
Five years ago today, my dad died.  He was in one of my dreams the other night and I got to hug him.   It's taken a long time to feel really okay about all this."Had a Dad" Alzheimer's Blog http://alzheimersdad.blogspot.com (c) Gevera Bert Piedmont })i({ Thank you for visiting! (Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog)
Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog - November 26, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: GBP })i({ Source Type: blogs

Alzheimer's Aunt: A diagnosis
Almost two years after Alzheimer's Aunt started showing signs and symptoms of being extremely ill, something has finally been done. Before I explain that, I want to tell you about my last major encounters with her and her illness.  I haven't been writing about her much because frankly it makes me so sad and angry and it's all so pointless when nothing is being done. Alzheimer's Aunt went on a trip, by herself, cross country, early this summer.  Direct flight (the thought of her trying to change planes is terrifying).  I ended up going along to navigate when one of my cousins drove her to the airport in New ...
Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog - October 6, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: GBP })i({ Source Type: blogs

Chicken Soup for the Soul; Living with Alzheimer's and other Dementias
I just submitted a story about my dad to the new Chicken Soup for the Soul book, which is dementia/Alzheimer's themed.  I'd like it to be in the book, of course... but if it doesn't make it, I'll post it here.  Wish me luck. "Had a Dad" Alzheimer's Blog http://alzheimersdad.blogspot.com (c) Gevera Bert Piedmont })i({ Thank you for visiting! (Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog)
Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog - October 6, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: GBP })i({ Source Type: blogs

Encouraging new treatment for dementia is emerging
Some of my friends email me or post to me on Facebook when they see a science article talking about Alzheimer's or dementia, as everyone knows this is the cause nearest to my heart.  I do read them all.  Some I just shrug and say "yeah maybe" or "you wish" but this one...well, this one seems promising. I'll let the first paragraph of the article speak for itself: The first experimental drug to boost brain synapses lost in Alzheimer’s disease has been developed by researchers at Sanford-Burnham. The drug, called NitroMemantine, combines two FDA-approved medicines to stop the destructive cascade of changes in th...
Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog - September 9, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: GBP })i({ Source Type: blogs

Silver alert for missing man brings back memories
Friday everyone around here was posting on FB that an elderly man, age 67, was missing from Southington, CT, a town about 20 miles away. (Harold) Smith's family members are not sure what he was wearing when he left home, but he almost always wears black sneakers and white socks, according to police. .... Smith cannot read or write, but he does recognize his name, according to police, and frequents the downtown Southington area and Plantsville Center section of Southington. Although no where does the article say he has dementia, from living with a dad and aunt, I can read between the lines. Earlier versions of the ...
Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog - September 1, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: GBP })i({ Source Type: blogs

Had a Dad Alzheimer's blog one of the best blogs of 2013
  “Had a Dad” Alzheimer’s Blog Selected as One of the Best Health Blogs  From (Healthline)  To (Bert)  Hi Bert, Healthline editors recently published their final list of the top Alzheimer's blogs on the web for 2013 and “Had a Dad” Alzheimer’s Blog made the list. You can find the complete list at http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/best-alzheimers-dementia-blogs (in no particular order). We encourage you to share your newfound status as one of the best blogs on the web with your friends, family, & followers. We also created a set of badges you can easily embed on your site ...
Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog - August 26, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: GBP })i({ Source Type: blogs

August equals Alzheimer's Anniversaries
August is a month of anniversaries relating to Alzheimer's for me. My dad's birthday. The anniversary of when his aunt died of dementia, right after my dad got diagnosed. My parents' wedding anniversary, and also the anniversary of the next-to-last time he flipped out (the next one being the one that got him removed from the house a couple of weeks later). Also the anniversary of when my dad's mother died, although she didn't have dementia that I know of, I believe she died of cancer (never met her even though she lived 1 town away and died when I was 16--long story). I lost a couple of pets in August too, my beloved bl...
Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog - August 26, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: GBP })i({ Source Type: blogs

Invisible Illnesses and Special Treatment
Two kinds of posts endlessly circulate on Facebook.  Both of them are quite whiny.  This one popped up yesterday and is representative of the Type 1 post, INVISIBLE ILLNESS and is presented with odd spellings and punctuation exactly as everyone else posts it: "Ignorant people can be so cruel!! I'm posting this because recently I have been mocked and laughed at for things beyond my control... I have three of these illnesses as does some of my friends.... Not one of my Facebook friends will copy and paste (but I am counting on a true family member or friend to do it). If you would be there for me no matter wha...
Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog - July 15, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: GBP })i({ Source Type: blogs

Stick N Find Bluetooth Location device
I just found this product through a post on, of all places, the I Can Has Cheezburger (LOL cats) site. If my dad was still alive and at home, I'd be Fry from Futurama: shut up and take my money. Basically, the StickNFind is a tiny round sticker that you can place anywhere.  You use your i-phone or Android phone to track the location of the sticker.  If you lose your keys, for instance.  Or you can put it on your pet's collar, stuck to a tag.   Or your wandering dementia-ridden dad.  When you are within 100 feet your phone can find it.  If your phone can't find it, you can set up an aler...
Source: Had a Dad Alzheimers Blog - May 8, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: GBP })i({ Source Type: blogs