Max went into the Army, married a Southern sweetheart and always pined to return to California. He had 2 sons and my father, the younger one, followed his Dad into the service and raised his own family on the road between the US and Latin America.
Ask Aunt Annie has advice on living with Alzheimer's and being a caregiver
The Ask Annie Archive has answers and practical caregiving tips.
The Buddy Plan pairs caregivers for one-on-one friendships with people who have been there.
Read about nursing homes and how to make a safe transition for your loved one.
Read about coming home from a nursing home and how to plan to bring your loved one home.
Check out some of the nutrients, vitamins and supplements that we have tried and what to ask your medical team.
Read about where to find resources and how to decide what you need.
Read about Alzheimer's Disease and its stages in normal people-talk.
Read about the warning signs for Alzheimer's Disease.
How your family can live with Alzheimer's Disease.
How our family has lived with Alzheimer's Disease.
How home health care professionals can help your family live with Alzheimer's Disease at home.
Advice for Caregivers & Families
He had had a stroke and was bound, against his will, to a nursing home. His house was in a shambles and it was clear that he could not live independently in his condition. I thought that a few months of pounding nails and cleaning house would suffice and that I could set him up with a meal on wheels schedule and return to my D.C. life.
We survived 3 scary years together, fighting like Hell against the disease, the system, the naysayers and each other before I met my husband. Max and I have traveled the country in a motor home, been to CA to appear on a talk show, become a private investigator team, chased criminals, bailed me out of jail and numerous other strange and glorious adventures.
Now it has been 6 years and our son, Will, is almost 2 and there is another bundle of joy on the way. Together we have become a family and have continued to fight against the system and the disease and have learned to work together to solve our problems and live life fully.
Max has been in a nursing home since this pregnancy started and it sure has made morning sickness easier not to change his diapers. Will is the apple of hundreds of old, scared and loving eyes at the nursing home and Max will be back here when the time is right.
When Max and I first started our adventure everyone said that I was crazy. We learned that everybody is a little crazy and that together a family can do anything and survive any problem. We are a family and that has been the key to our success, plus a few cups of stubborness and a big dose of optimism.
Jennifer
