Category Archives: caregiving

Amazing Love

Posted on July 20, 2016 by Bob Ritzema

I recently learned of the death of  Robertson McQuilkin, former president of Columbia Bible College and Seminary (now Columbia International University). He resigned from his post in 1990 to care fulltime for his wife, Muriel, who had Alzheimer’s.  He was … Continue reading →

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Conversing With Dementia

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Bob Ritzema

I recently read a Next Avenue interview with Jonathan Kozol, author of the memoir The Theft of Memory: Losing my Father One Day at a Time. Jonathan’s father Harry, a psychiatrist and neurologist, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in his late 80s … Continue reading →

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On The Ladder of The Generations

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Bob Ritzema

I spend most of my time staying with my mother, who is 89 years old. She functions pretty well in her own house, preparing her own meals, dressing without assistance, and doing her laundry. She doesn’t drive or use a … Continue reading →

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Mom On Her Own

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Bob Ritzema

When my dad went into a nursing home on June 4, it was the first time that he and my mom lived apart in their 68 years of marriage. Mom was exhausted from caring for him. I expected she would … Continue reading →

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“Can You Spare Me a Dime?” Getting Ready For the Journey.

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Bob Ritzema

My mom and I were my dad’s primary caregivers as dementia gradually chewed at his mind. I helped them in their home for almost two years, until, at last, my mother made the difficult decision to have dad admitted to … Continue reading →

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Alzheimer’s Misconceptions

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Bob Ritzema

Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common form of dementia, responsible for an estimated 60-80% of cases. The range in estimated cases has to do with the difficulty of diagnosis; Alzheimer’s can only be definitively diagnosed by autopsy. There are an … Continue reading →

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The Week Before Dad Left

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Bob Ritzema

Dad went into the memory unit at Christian Rest Home a week ago. A week before that, it didn’t seem that admission was imminent. However, that previous Wednesday, my mom said for the first time, “I can’t do this anymore.” … Continue reading →

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What It Is Like For Dad To Be Gone

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Bob Ritzema

Dad went into the rest home yesterday. He has dementia (apparently of the lewy body variety) and has been deteriorating for years. For the last two years, he could not be left alone and needed assistance with much of daily … Continue reading →

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Caring and the Aging Self

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Bob Ritzema

As I’ve written recently, we constantly revise our sense of who we are under the tutelage of life events. I am different today than I was yesterday, though only subtly so, and will be different tomorrow than I am today. … Continue reading →

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The Caregiving Cliff

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Bob Ritzema

The Washington Post recently had a series entitled “Caregiving: A Special Report,” exploring the many facets of caregiving in America. Some articles focus on individual stories of caregiving, while others have more to do more with the scope of the … Continue reading →

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