Q. In a nutshell, what is your book about?
A. This book is a memoir written about my experience, as a daughter, with aging parents , both of whom had dementia, and lived their final years in a Retirement Home. It was an eight year journey filled with ups and downs, tears and laughter, sadness and also joy. It is a love story about two elderly people who showed love and commitment to one another even in their final years as dementia progressed. There are life lessons to share in this story about caregiving, love, life and loss.
Q. Why did you write your book?
A. My experience with aging parents was something I was not prepared for. Although I was a Registered Nurse, my nursing experience was not enough to prepare me for this experience, as a daughter. I saw my parents as young and vibrant even though they had reached their eighties. When they developed dementia, our roles were reversed and they needed my help for the first time in my life. After both parents had passed away I felt that my story might benefit those who are also experiencing this with their parents. I also thought that my story might benefit those who work with the elderly to help them gain insight into what the families are experiencing.
Q. Why do you think readers will care about this book?
A. This book is a human story, with universal appeal, about a situation which most of us will have to experience sooner or later, whether it is with parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles or friends. We all have parents or someone who is like a parent, who nurtures and mentors us as we grow. We all experience grief and loss, as those we love age and the relationship changes. My book is from a daughter’s perspective rather than a medical or nursing perspective making it simple enough for any reader who might be a busy caregiver and needs to know they are not alone.
Q. What part of your book do you feel most passionate about?
A. I feel passionate about the realization, in my story, that I could still find joy, love and gratitude, in spite of the fact that I was losing my parents. Our relationship, as I once knew it, was over, yet I still loved who they were, even as dementia was stealing away their abilities and memories.