Locally grown, internationally known
On the day that he was to return to his Twisp River home for the last time, Don Reddington instead died peacefully in a hospital room surrounded by family members.
His wife, Ginger, is convinced that’s how Don wanted it.
“Deep down, he made a plan … it was one of the last things he could decide, and I’m really happy for him,” Ginger said in an interview last week, a few days after Don’s death on the morning of Oct. 2. “We’re joyous for his departing because he was not happy in his situation.”
Alzheimer’s disease awareness advocate waits for placement in VA contract facility By Don Nelson The difficult days that Don Reddington and his family knew were coming are here. Reddington — whose courageous public efforts to bring more attention to Alzheimer’s disease were chronicled in the “Living With Alzheimer’s” publication in 2016 — is waiting for an opening in a […]
Thanks to the remarkable generosity of many people, the fundraising drive to support publication of Living With Alzheimer’s: the Don Reddington Project has generated impressive support. The Methow Valley News plans to publish a magazine-style compilation of the eight articles that Don wrote for the newspaper last year about facing Alzheimer’s and its implications, plus an […]
About one year ago Dr. Raleigh Bowden and I began discussing writing a book about what it’s like to live with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). I have been educating myself about Alzheimer’s and talking openly with people about the disease since I received my diagnosis in early 2014. I have found that a lot of people are in denial about having the disease, or are trying to hide it.
I have Alzheimer’s disease. And while I don’t require a lot of help from my wife, Ginger, now, I know that in time I am going to need help doing lots of things I am used to doing for myself. I will need the help of many caregivers, and I hope they understand the special needs of a person with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
After Jerry Bristol and, several years later, I received the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), we both met with Dr. Raleigh Bowden, a volunteer physician who helps people with health and end-of-life issues. We asked what we should expect in each stage of AD, so that we and our families could plan for the future.
Learning about the stages of AD has been an important tool for me …
Forgetfulness can be a normal part of aging. As people get older, changes occur in all parts of the body, including the brain. As a result, you may notice that it takes longer to learn new things; you don’t remember information as well as you once did; or you can’t remember where you put things, like your glasses or your keys. For most people, these are signs of mild forgetfulness due to aging, not a serious memory problem.
In Chapter 2, “Possible preventative strategies,” Jerry Bristol and I indicated the importance of physical and social activities. With the help of Dr. Raleigh Bowden, we learned about putting together activities that we hope will help slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
If you have a parent, a family member, or a close friend who has Alzheimer’s disease (AD), it affects you as much as it affects the patient. It also has an impact on children. Explaining AD in a way that children can understand is difficult. Kids notice a lot more than adults give them credit for. They may not understand exactly the details or what is wrong, but kids deserve to be involved and informed.
Lifestyle choices related to diet, vitamin supplements and exercise have reduced the risk of many diseases. Could they also slow down the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease? Research studies to identify factors that affect the risk of AD are …
