Early Detection For Alzheimer's Disease

June 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I believe wholeheartedly in early detection for Alzheimer’s Disease. Knowing what you are facing, having time to come to grips with it is so helpful in the long run. Exercise, diet, drugs, good doctors and support groups, family members are invaluable. I know, I’ve been there. Now I can sit back and reflect on these issues without the emotional baggage that comes with waiting, and waiting and waiting.

Being aware, being prepared is so helpful, especially in the beginning stages.

How do I know. I was there. My husband received this diagnosis, we had to keep it a secret because he was still working, still a highly functioning individual. I kept a secret journal, which I published later as Behind The Mask by Helene Moore, so someone could actually stand in the caregivers shoes for a little while and understand the anger, emotional highs and lows, the internal thoughts that go through a caregivers mind. And also some of what goes through the patients mind. ( Howard’s diagnosis was changed seven long years later)

Because of Behind The Mask, I have become a supporter of caregivers, giving speeches, talking about it to anyone I meet, my email buddies and here on my blog.

Look around your community, where you live, work, play, go to school, or social clubs, golf, etc. there are caregivers in your neighborhood. Connect with them, send them an email, become their friend. Do not judge, just be there, stand in their shoes for a moment and help them get on with their life It only takes a few moments to send an email. Please give something back.

Give the gift that lasts forever and costs nothing.

Adopt A Caregiver and tell them your friend Helene Moore sent you.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

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Get Organized

June 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I need to get myself organized. I thought I was doing such a good job, and now I’m far behind again. Too many emails to answer, papers that need to be worked on and getting pushed aside every day for a week or two. Not a good idea.

Instead of beating myself up over things that weren’t getting done, I made a list of all I accomplished in a day. Well, and good, I got a lot done, but the other things are still getting pushed behind.

I need less Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue days, and more good days of getting plenty of sleep and able to function as I should. Fibromyalgia takes away many days from my life. My attitude has been very good about it, but sometimes when too many bad days come in a row, I wish it were different.

Caregivers don’t have that option. Their job is 24/7 no matter how lousy they feel, or how little sleep they get at night. They function without complaining, doing the job that was thrust upon them. No choices here.

But you have choices. Look around your neighborhood, your own community and find the caregivers. Send them an email, become their friend. Put yourself in his/her shoes and if you can’t, order my book, Behind The Mask. It’s my secret journal written during the seven years I was a caregiver. Experience for yourself, the emotions and thoughts that go through a new caregiver’s mind. Behind The Mask inspired me to start my Adopt A Caregiver journey.

Give the gift that lasts forever and costs nothing. Adopt A Caregiver and tell them your friend Helene Moore sent you.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

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Moore Writing Prompts

June 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Yesterday’s prompts were off the top of my head.

These are  a few more of my prompts:

“The news wasn’t good

She heard the commotion

Point that camera somewhere else

She sky was ablaze

The experience left her shaken

Where had that crazy thought come from?

The door crashed ope, “Police.”

Memories are forever but”

I encourage caregivers to write, either in a journal, or on a scrap of paper to vent. Phrases work, or long sentences, or a few words. Journaling is a powerful, healing tool for good health. Caregivers need this kind of support.

There are caregivers in you own community. Give the gift that lasts forever, and costs nothing. Adopt A Caregiver and tell them your friend Helene sent you. An email will work, build up some trust, and become his/her supporter.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

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Behind The Mask/Adopt A Caregiver

June 6, 2009 By 1 Comment

I published my secret jounal, Behind The Mask, because I thought it might help other caregivers going through the same kind of days and nights I was going through. The truth is though, Behind The Mask, is the touchstone for Adopt A Caregiver. Somehow, it was Bershert! Meant to be.

There are caregivers in every community. Where you live, work, play, go to school, golf, play Mah Jongg, Bridge social club, churches and synagogus. All those places are communities. Caregivers in these communities need our support and that’s how Adopt A Caregiver started.

All you have to do is look around your neighbohood, find that caregiver, send an email, and offer to be his/her friend. Explain that even though you never stood in their shoes, you are trying to help and that you will continue to stay, even if everyone else leaves.

Alzheimer’s isn’t contagious, yet caregivers are usually left alone after a long time of illness. I imagine all caregivers go through this. Please, it only takes a few moments, send an email, be their friend, encourage them to vent, to write about their experiences, to ‘get it out’ and please tell them you will not judge them; for you have not stood in their shoes.

That’s another reason I published Behind The Mask, so you could stand in the caregivers shoes for a little while and better understand the emotions locked in the mind of the caregiver.

Give the gift that lasts forever, and costs nothing. Adopt A Caregiver, and tell them your friend Helene sent you.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

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Closet Organizers

May 30, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Closet organizers are being installed tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. and I have to pull everything out of the closets. Yes, more than one. My clothes closet and my office closet. Moving is such fun. We have adjusted to our new lifestyle and established our new routine. For the most part, anyway.

I have to get back on track on my computer routine. Looking at other websites and posting comments. Looking for information for Adopt A Caregiver, and learning how to use Facebook to my advantage, and maybe starting a Twitter account. I am determined to learn about such things.

It’s also time to talk to people, start networking for Adopt A Caregiver. Time to talk to groups and tell them what Adopt A Caregiver is all about. It’s so simple.  In every community there are new caregivers, these are your neighbors, your friends, send an email, encourage them to talk to you, to journal, to vent. Do not judge them, you have no idea what it’s like to stand in their shoes.

That’s why I published my book, Behind The Mask, so everyone would know what it feels like to become a new caregiver. This book is available on my website and on Amazon.

Please think about this. It’s the gift that lasts forever and costs nothing. Adopt A Caregiver and tell them your friend Helene sent you.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

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Support Caregivers

May 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Do you have any idea how a new caregiver feels? How alone, scared, and the kind of feeling that no one understands, so there isn’t anyone to talk to?

That is why I published my secret journal, Behind The Mask. So ordinary people can read my book and understand the obstacles that confront the new caregiver.

We were the lucky ones, the doctor changed the Alzheimer’s Disease diagnosis seven long hard years later, to Age Associated Memory Impairment. After my book was published, I wanted to give something back, so I started my Adopt A Caregiver journey.

Give the gift that lasts forever and costs nothing. Adopt A Caregiver, and tell them your friend Helene sent you. There is a caregiver in your own community. Find him/her. Send an email, offer to be their friend.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

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Behind The Mask by Helene Moore

May 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I’ve been asked many times, “Why did you publish your secret journal?” Truthfully, I thought it might help caregivers to know that they were not alone, that their thoughts weren’t crazy.

I’ve heard back from people saying that my book did help. Comments from a father and son who said, “My father read your book, and he finally understood how hard it is to be a caregiver. ” This young man is in his twenties taking care of his father. Now his father has resumed many of his own responsibilities and the young man is free to be with his friends and to get out of the house more.

Many comments have brought tears to my eyes. But most of all that’s how the idea of Adopt A Caregiver came about.

People in your own community, whether it’s where you live, where you work, your social clubs, church, or synagogue, there are lonely, scared new caregivers. They need a friend, someone to talk to, vent to, someone who won’t judge them, someone who will encourage them to journal, to open up about their feelings. All it takes is an email friendship. It’s the gift that lasts forever and costs nothing.

Adopt A Caregiver, and tell them your friend Helene sent you.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

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The Finishing Touches

May 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

We are making great progress. Today, they delivered our chairs for the living room and my husband’s office. My chair came in damaged, so I will have to wait a week or two for that. Delivery of the closet organizers will be Saturday at 8 a.m. Originally, they said to would take up to 4 weeks, and it’s only been one week, so that’s great. That is the last thing we ordered, and once the closets are done, we are finished. I think the apartment looks terrific and we are very happy here. We have established our routine, a little different that it was in Henderson, NV, but a good routine for us now.

I’m doing more walking. It’s that or stay at home. It’s a little bit of a walk to get to the car from the apartment, and that’s a good thing for me.

I made some doctor appointments already and tomorrow I will call several old friends. It’s time to reconnect and do some social things.

Next step, my Adopt A Caregiver web page.

Remember, there are people in your community that are new caregivers. Support them, send them an email, become their friend. Encourage them to talk or write about their situation. Give the gift that lasts forever and costs nothing. Adopt A Caregiver and tell them your friend Helene sent you.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

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Another Wonderful Family Day

May 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I do hope the family doesn’t get tired of us. I really enjoy being with them.

We need to be home for the delivery of some chairs and lamps we ordered, and after that we need to go to Costco.

In the meantime, I’m trying to catch up as well as do some R&R. The R&R is working out just fine, the catching up is proving to be much harder.

I’m looking for groups to talk to in Orange County, I’m ready to speak out about Adopt A Caregiver. It’s the gift that lasts forever, and costs nothing. Just an email to a caregiver in your community, to show support and become a friend.

If you don’t know what it’s like to stand in a new caregiver’s shoes, my book Behind The Mask will explain it all. It was my secret journal written when we were given the sudden diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease, and we had to keep it a secret. Find out why in my book.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

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Easier Days

May 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Worked on my writing this morning, that was a great feeling. I really want to finish this book that I’m working on, but I’ve got such a long way to go. Okay, one day at a time.

We went to The Container Store today and ordeed closet organizers. Have to wait abotut three weeks, they are out of stock on some of the drawers we wanted.

Meeting my granddaughter for lunch tomorrow at The District. Should be fun.

There are so many things I want to do, and to learn, but right now, I’ve earned a rest.

It’s also time to call my old friends who live here, and tell them I  am here and want to meet. That will be a fun activity for tomorrow afternoon.

There is nothing else new.

I sold two of my books, Behind The Mask and hope when they finish reading it, they will understand the plight of the caregiver. I also finished the book, Still Alice by Lisa Genova, and she did a superb job with great insight into what thoughts and feelings are present when early onset Alzheimer’s is diagnosed. I strongly recommend this book.

There are new caregivers in your community. Be a good friend, email them, talk to them, just be there for them. They feel so alone and abandoned…

Give the gift that lasts forever, and costs nothing. Adopt A Caregiver and tell them your friend Helene sent you.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

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