The Great Unlearning Which is Alzheimer's

 I found this article about deep philosophical and spiritual questions related to Alzheimer's Disease to be very comforting. I see the importance in emotional processing and life review in various elderly people, not just Alzheimer's patients. Lots of examples and ideas in this: http://www.crosscurrents.org/webb.htm

Purpose in Life Wards Off the Effects of Alzheimer's Disease

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry Division shows that people who score high on tests measuring one's feeling of having a purpose in life are less likely to get Alzheimer's Disease and are far less likely to exhibit cognitive signs of the disease even when the telltale physical changes associated with Alzheimer's are present. Previous studies have indicated similar things (the famous Nun study, for instance), but specifically studying purpose in life is new and noteworthy.

Add that to studies that show that feeling isolated, lonely and unloved tremendously increases the likelihood of Alzheimer's, and those that show correlations between the disease and depression, and I think we're starting to get a much clearer picture of how Alzheimer's Disease manifests in the elderly population. I imagine this is especially true in Western culture of the current generation!

Gifts for Alzheimers Disease Caregivers and Families

Etsy.com is an online marketplace for handmade items made by artists from all over the world, but particularly in the United States. There's a great community of people there and one of them created this Treasury (a curated show) of gifts made to remember, honor or support someone with Alzheimer's Disease or a related dementia. My book The Spiritual Journey of Family Caregiving was included because I sell a variety of things on Etsy. I thought that was very nice. http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c582503979b8eefecf908e5/compassion?index=2