He who gives you the day will also give you the things necessary for the day. -- Gregory of Nyssa
Hi, My name is Sheila and I care full time for my mother in law who has Alzheimers Disease. My goal is to raise awareness about Alzheimers Disease and how it steals your life away piece by piece before you realize it is happening.
As a photographer, my life revolves around preserving memories and special moments in time. As an AD caregiver, I have seen first hand how the disease takes away the memories most precious to all of us. Places you have been, people you used to adore and familiar hobbies you used to have are all just a blur of confusing details. You are totally at the mercy of others to provide for you and to take care of you in a respectful and healthy way.
For the AD patient, tasks such as brushing their teeth and washing their hair become difficult to deal with. Your brain literally seems short circuited and you can't remember whether to wash your hair with toothpaste or shampoo. You forget how to cook and what to do to make a cup of coffee. You lose track of a story line in a movie and cannot grasp the meaning and concept of words written in a newspaper. Finding connecting pieces to a puzzle is impossible and you will often wear the same set of clothes multiple times in a week without washing them, if allowed.
As a patient, it is difficult but for the caregiver, it becomes twice as frustrating. Dealing with the loss of your own free time and the life you once knew parallels the AD patient's feelings as you both go down the same bleak path. Knowing that AD is a fatal disease with no known cure makes it harder to stay positive when you know there is no real light at the end of the tunnel in terms of recovery.
My site was set up to share with others positive thoughts and inspirational messages as well as showcase things that I personally am doing to raise awareness and funds for establishing Community Alzheimer's Programs in every local community. There are none in my area and as many of you know, AD patients can't be left anywhere without proper supervision by those trained in AD. Therefore, church volunteer programs and senior outings are not an option for the AD patient. My goal is to implement programs in every community that will allow the AD patient to enjoy activities such as painting, dancing, games, companionship, friendship, fun and laughter with dignity and respect. Help me to make changes for the future! Since my mother in law's name is Violet (which just happens to be the signature color for AD) I began creating items that have been helpful to me and as a crafty person, became therapy for me after starting this journey over a year ago. My hope is that I will be able to raise funds with the sale of these items so that I can begin the community programs that I have a vision for. All of the items you see on my site are hand made. My mother in law and my own mom help make these items which we hope will brighten your world and will allow us to keep funds available for the program in our community and to establish and encourage others to do the same in their areas. Most County Parks and Rec Centers are willing to provide space for the activities, but a Team Leader must take the initiative to set up the schedule, inform the media and get the word out to all AD patients and their caregivers. I have established a sample Curriculum and Planner which I will post each month so that pulling the events together will be a breeze! All the details has already been thought out and as a former Preschool Operator for over 15 years, I find that planning activities for AD patients is very similar to curriculum for preschoolers! Of course, you are welcome to improvise, add to or change in whatever way you feel best serves your community AD patients.
Please click on the tabs at the top to browse through my pages. I hope you will find my site worthy of telling others about and refer them to visit. Please feel free to leave positive communication for others to brighten their day or tips and ideas they may find helpful and to email me if you have questions or comments at sheilat@sheilatphotography.com
:)
Thanks for visiting!