Guest Writers Blog

November is National Family Caregiver Month. Governor Cox has also declared November as Family Caregivers Month in Utah. Are you a family caregiver?

At this year’s 4th of July neighborhood breakfast, I met my new friend, Dr. Bruce Jasper, a neuropsychologist. After explaining why my husband wasn’t with me (he died 3 years ago of Alzheimer’s) and his wife wasn’t with him (the breakfast food didn’t fit into her healthy lifestyle), we had a very interesting discussion about lecanemab, the latest FDA approved drug purported to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s, and how its effects compare with those of intensive lifestyle changes.

When my husband, Dennis, was first diagnosed as being in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, I was told to expect that he would gradually have more difficulty planning and initiating a healthy variety of activities, but that it would help his emotional health and mental abilities to interact with other people. Knowing this prompted me to take the initiative when it came to planning things we could do together, and to suggest things he could do on his own or with friends and family.

Almost everyone wants to “age in place,” or in their own homes. They also typically say that they don’t want to be a burden on their children, and yet they insist that they not be moved to one of their homes or to an assisted living facility.

Bone density, an indicator of one’s predisposition to bone fractures, can be measured by a DEXA Scan. I had my latest DEXA scan on 12/11/23. In the first call from my doctor’s nurse, he simply stated that there had been an increase in my bone density since my last test two years ago, so I should keep taking every-6-month Prolia shots. Unlike my usual “do-what-the-doctor-says” self, I replied that I refused to continue the shots and explained my reasons.