Aunt Thelma

Myrna wrote: I suppose you all know that Aunt Thelma also volunteered at a home for those with Alzheimer's, dementia and other age-related medical problems. I suppose you know that two of Dad's friends, Lloyd Sundquist and Robert Jarrett, both have Alzheimer's. Lloyd loves LHT. He volunteers to do any assignment where he can have LHT for his companion. He tells dad that he can feel himself slipping a bit but he is still in the Sunday School Presidency. Robert is Dad's home teaching companion. He still remembers the past pretty well but he can't help teach the lesson but sometimes he prays. If I ever develop the disease and get really bad, I want to be put in a home where they offer specialized help and, as Melanie does, interesting projects for the patients. And as Dad says, I will have the opportunity to make new friends every day (the same ones--I just won't remember them from the day before).
Love, M

Melanie wrote: The interesting thing with the dementia disease is that past and present are the same in the patient's mind. Thus, when seeing your children, you start believing that they are your parents. It makes sense to me. In the end, those whom we cared for, end up caring for us. Part of that eternal round, I suppose....


Myrna wrote: Now you know why Rachel doesn't want to get old. She just wants to stay little forever and live with her mom and dad at her home. But I also do want to live in my home forever--this home. There are a lot of people who are blessed enough to be able to do that. I would like to be among them. 
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