Saving the Family Jewels
If You’re an Adult Child of a Boomer, You’ll Probably Inherit…But You’ll Also Probably Inherit Being Their Caregiver.
My book, Az and Me: A Partner’s Journey with Alzheimer’s isn’t a book you want to read once and put on a back shelf (or not read at all). It’s a book you want to keep as a manual for when you WILL need it. All the more important if you read it BEFORE you need the information, so you head off problems, beforehand.
You just may save the family assets—assets you’d probably inherit. In any case, reading my book will help save you from financial and other challenges, too, like methods to save your own mental well-being, if and when you battle the pernicious aspects of cognitive disorder in a loved one.
You see, you WILL be a Caregiver, at some point—either for a spouse…a mother/father…grandparent…partner. This is not just a guess, with no back-up support. Most folks are living to advanced age and with that reality, comes more instances of dementia related illnesses, like Alzheimer’s, Fronto- temporal dementia (Think Bruce Willis), vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease.
My book (title above) is an easy read. Folks (even non-readers) say they enjoy it. It comprises short 1-2 pg entries, so they’re easily-digestible pieces and you can pick it up at any point—even if you left off a week ago…a month ago. Because each “chapter” is separate and distinct.
I explain the traits of those affected with cognitive decline…what they can and cannot do…traits, too, of Caregivers and why they need support—lots of it. I give practical tips and suggestions to help Caregivers survive—and even thrive . Then, my favorite part (and it happens to be a favorite of a lot of others, too), are my poems, because some are funny, indeed (yes, even with a tough subject matter). Even the doctors (and they’re usually a serious breed) like them. Three RI “Top Docs” are quoted in my book and praise it.
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Colleen Kelly Mellor, author of 4 books, and articles that have appeared in the WSJ, AP, World News, is a former feature writer and monthly Op-ed columnist for the Providence Journal. Not content with writing for those, her regular columns also appeared in Western North Carolina’s Mountain Xpress. Her new book (click here) is an Amazon Best Seller.
colleenkellymellor.com (book link is also there, as is ProJo columnist Mark Patinkin’s front pg story on Colleen and Paul’s late-in-life marriage at 83 (he) and 78 (she).)
