Kathy Matheny

The holidays and celebrations are a wonderful time to gather with friends and family. There is shopping and planning, cooking and cleaning, perhaps traveling, and lots of decorating. Frankly, it...

We have been humming along okay. Mom has been managing pretty well. She can make her grits, dress herself, contribute brokenly to our conversations. We will watch a show together...

Caring for a loved one with dementia is a lot of work. It takes a lot of time. Your day revolves around how they are doing, and who is going...

I recently went on a road trip with my husband, son, his girlfriend of one year, and my mom. We drove from Long Island back to Buffalo where we lived...

We had not seen my brother in almost 2 years. I was worried that if he didn't come for Christmas, who knows what mom would be like by the next...

Thanksgiving is more than a holiday. It's more about being thankful for what you have and who you have, and holding on to the moments and memories - making connections...

Being a caregiver can be a thankless job. There is so much grunt work. There is all the regular work you do to keep a household going - you have...

What can I say? I'm protective. A helicopter parent is one who hovers over their kids' lives, ready to swoop in at the slightest hint of danger or discomfort. We...

Oh, if only we got to deal with one firestorm at a time, but disasters seem to come in 3s. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Alzheimer's disease is...

My husband and I have been married for over 30 years. When you say your I do's, you can't imagine what your life will be like so far down the...

As my mom's Alzheimer's disease has progressed, she needs more help these days with her activities of daily living. I help her in the bathroom. I help her get dressed...

It's easy to get all business like when there is so much to do for your loved one (LO) living with dementia (LOLWD also LOWD). You want to expedite all...

I thought it strange that my mom's slipper, a single slipper, was on the floor outside of my mom's bedroom. With Alzheimer's disease, there are a lot of oddities. I...

I don't like to linger over many things. I'm not a wine person, so I don't sip and savor. I'm a Diet Coke person. I am thirsty. I don't want...

My mom has been a sports fan her whole life. She played basketball when girls' offense and defense just played on half the court. If they keep score, she watches...

It has been an interesting experiment living with my mom in my adulthood. I think it's different than having my adult son live with us. Is it, though? I'll have...

We just celebrated Thanksgiving. My brother was finally able to make it home. We talk on the phone a lot, but he hasn't been able to get back here since...

I have heard them called "surgery prayers." Those are the prayers you pray for patience or resilience or to lose weight or get in shape. They usually require a change...

They say that the mind living with Alzheimer's disease is like having a zipper that has missing teeth. You can zip it up fine where all the teeth are intact...