by Ava Butler | Apr 25, 2022 | Assisted living, Caregiving, Dementia, Depression, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's, Uncategorized
Zach Mercurio’s article The Science of Mattering: Why Feeling Significant Is So Significant resonates with me. People with dementia or other challenges still need to feel that they are important, that they matter. Everyone does. Zack describes how feeling...
by Ava Butler | Jan 21, 2022 | Caregiving, Dementia, Depression, Grieving, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's, Uncategorized
I just got through my 5th holiday season as a widow. They get easier, but can still suck. I’ve put a lot of effort into being a better person through it all. The journey is a long, but I’m grateful for it. David Kessler’s work has really helped me...
by Ava Butler | May 18, 2021 | Caregiving, Dementia, Depression, Grieving, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's
Nora McInerny’s 15 minute Ted Talk highlights that we don’t move on from grief, we move forward with it. To me, this is an important observation and really resonates with me. Nora also has a podcast ‘Terrible, Thanks for Asking.’ NOTE: You...
by Ava Butler | May 9, 2021 | Caregiving, Depression, Parkinson's
Caregiving is stressful and depressing. So is having Parkinson’s. The sugar-laden, high-fat foods we often crave when we are stressed or depressed, as comforting as they are, may be the least likely to benefit our mental health. This New York Times article...
by Ava Butler | Jan 3, 2021 | Caregiving, Covid-19, Depression, Grief, Grieving
Grief is a response to a change we didn’t want. We grieve when a loved one has a disease like Parkinson’s or dementia and is declining with no hope of recovery. And we’re grieving over the losses we are experiencing from Covid-19 and the world that...
by Ava Butler | Nov 29, 2020 | Caregiving, Dementia, Depression, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's, Support groups
This is a difficult time of year for me. It’s the 4th year I have spent the holidays as a widow. I don’t like that job title. Not at all. It’s a time of year I need to be proactive to manage my emotions. David Kessler is the grief specialist and...
