Independence Day is our opportunity to honor the heroic efforts of our veterans and their sacrifices in securing our safety and freedom.   These brave men and women in our armed forces face many challenges living with wounds of war, time away from their families, PTSD, often having to transition to life as civilians and the challenges of finding work outside of the military.

No longer is dementia a looming public health threat.  It is a global crisis affecting healthcare systems, delivery of long-term care, worker shortages, community infrastructure, families and most importantly, the quality of life for persons living with dementia.

"Touching as a therapeutic event is not as simple as a mechanical procedure or a drug, because is, above all, an act of communication...the use of touch and physical closeness may be the most important way to communicate to acutely ill (and aged) persons that they are important as human beings..." - Ashley Montagu

It's hard to believe that I've not had my dad in my life for over 20 years now.  So much of who I am and what I've taught to my children came from my dad.  So, it's appropriate that this blog be a tribute to my dad this Father's Day.

I thought this intriguing blog post title would spark some interest, as I'm writing this while on a European trip that will be concluding in Amsterdam.  Samen Dementievriendelijk is the Netherland's Dementia Delta Plan, which aims to create dementia-friendly communities by teaching people to recognize and help people living with dementia.

Having a sense of purpose and a community network in which to provide these avenues seems to be important for brain health, an important component of aging well. But aging well starts with more basic work.  Some of these include:

It is a rare occasion when either speaking to or meeting with family caregivers that I do not have tucked away this invaluable list of signs and symptoms of caregiver burnout to share with them before I leave.    My advice to caregivers is to print this list out and place in a plastic sleeve and tape it to your bathroom mirror.  Every single day you should be aware of these signs - often that creep in slowly- and zap our ability to cope, quickly leading to caregiver burnout.