June 21 is the longest day of the year. It's the summer solstice and has the most daylight hours in the northern hemisphere.
On the Longest Day, the Alzheimer's Association asks those who are affected by Alzheimer's create fundraising teams to support favorite activities. To honor of the Longest Day events AlzLive created a collection of caregiver stories by those who like to write. They asked me to write a story for the series.
A young caregiver speaks up! on AlzLive for the Longest Day.
AlzLive's Longest Day series
- You don't expect an emergency: "We have a long way to go before we are ready for what we don't ever expect."
- Revisit the past, through mid-century mementos: Memory boxes and relics from the past help ground those with Alzheimer's in their new reality.
- A young caregiver speaks up!: This is my story. It is about my slow realization of how Alzheimer's was impacting our family and how it ultimately impacted me. (Huh, huh, they called me young.)
- The mystery of sundowning: The twilight hours are often the hardest for those with dementia. No one knows why.
- The longest trip: Riding bikes for those with dementia.
- Dancing for dementia: Celtic dancing with those with dementia.
When you are a caregiver for someone you have a job that lasts day and night. On the longest day tomorrow, perhaps you can take a few moments to think about those who need help and those who provide the help.
Give the stories a read. I'd love to hear your thoughts.