Visiting Alzheimer Patients

I recently visited with a parishioner who has Alzheimer’s Disease. It was a pleasant experience and the parishioner seemed to appreciate and enjoy the visit and my prayer before I left. It occurred to me that perhaps my experience with my mother, who had Alzheimer’s for years before she died, probably gave me some experience that would be helpful to others.

Often when we visit friends or family members with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia, we feel ill at ease because the patient is often anxious and uncomfortable. Then, we often think it would be better if we hadn’t come at all. Let me assure you, that is not true. It is good that you went to visit, and it was probably helpful to the patient to have some diversion to their life, even if they don’t remember it moments after you leave.

Here are some suggestions that may be helpful to you:

• Just love them. How long they remember you isn’t as important as bringing a bright spot to their day.
• Treasure the moments. Learn to treasure the moments, the smiles, the conversation—even if it is sometimes disjointed and doesn’t always make sense. It is good for them to chat with you. Your presence is important to them.
• Don’t ask questions. Never ask them to clarify or explain. They can’t, and the anxiety will come quickly.

I noticed early on in Mom’s Alzheimer time of life that if I asked her questions that she couldn’t answer, even the least thing, she would become anxious and ill at ease—perhaps embarrassed because she didn’t know the answer. (Although, I’m not sure if she was embarrassed, because she couldn’t tell me.)

I soon learned to never ask questions, but to always tell her things. First, I would tell her who I was: “I’m your son, Rick. I wanted to stop by and see you today. How are you?” (That’s one question I could always ask Mom. It may not be true of all Alzheimer patients.) Tell them about the weather. Tell them about your children, grandchildren, friends, the news, anything that may be of interest. But always tell it as if you wouldn’t expect the patient to know any of it, so he/she doesn’t have to do mental calculations, which might make them feel anxious.

The main thing is to visit. Even though they won’t remember, the moments are precious “in the moment.”

In the latter days of his life, former president Ronald Reagan was afflicted with Alzheimer’s Disease. His son was faithful to visit him, and Reagan greeted his visits eagerly, even though he then only knew him as, “the man who hugs me.”

Just be the one who hugs them.

I'm Rick Blumenberg . . .
and that's My View from Tanner Creek.

(This article was first published in First Touch, online newsletter for First Church of God, St Joseph, Michigan.)

The Slaughter of the Innocents

President Obama didn’t waste any time overturning President Bush’s limits on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. In my opinion it was a very sad day in our nation’s history. He who talked so much about bringing people together not only “dissed” millions of people who sincerely believe such research is wrong because it destroys people, he also endorsed as "good" science something that has not proven to be good science. Embryonic stem cell research has not been nearly as effective as adult stem research, which does not have any bad ethical implications. Why then, do people continue to insist on something as being “good science” when the preponderance of scientific evidence supports something else entirely? It may be politically correct, but it is definitely not good science.

There is a God and he is fully involved in the human experience. When we do what is right he helps us to accomplish it. When we do what is wrong he not only doesn’t help, he may even hinder our efforts. Do you think maybe he is trying to tell us something about embryonic stem cell research? Could it be when he created us he built into our DNA the possibilities of adult stem cells being used in such powerful ways and now that human understanding has developed to the point we can use such research effectively he is ready to open up to us great new areas of scientific knowledge in the area of human health?

On the other hand, because he who even sees the sparrow fall, agonizes over the death of even an infinitely small and unborn human being, perhaps even before creation he looked into the future and saw that “the heart is deceitful and exceedingly wicked” perhaps therefore, he created us so that it would be impossible for us to effectively used embryonic stem cells that require the destruction of his beloved children? Perhaps it will never be successful and therefore we will spend billions on worthless, pseudo science that is totally out of touch with reality.

President Obama also over-turned President Bush’s executive order that ended taxpayer support of abortions in the world outside our nation. I pray for President Obama and I hope you do as well. One of the things I pray for is that God will impress on him the fact that he has been elected to be president of all the people, even those who are not yet born. And, I pray God will help him make godly decision that will bless our nation.

Our home and congregation are just a few miles from the famed Catholic University of Notre Dame. The president and leaders of the university have asked President Obama to be a speaker at this year’s Spring graduation exercises. They also plan to give him an honorary degree. However, many students, faculty and staff of the university, as well as laity, cardinals and priests throughout the church are speaking up with the conviction that his strong pro-abortion stance is totally out of sync with the theology and ethics of the Catholic Church. (Notice I said “pro-abortion”, not “pro-choice”—the babies have no choice at all.)

You’ve probably heard about this on the news, although we probably hear more because we’re so close. Please pray for the university to make the right decision and reject the concept of ignoring sin just because it is politically correct.

I'm Rick Blumenberg . . .
and that's My View from Tanner Creek.

Holy Week Musings

As we move through what we call Holy Week, we may ask ourselves, why would we call this “Holy Week”? It was the week during which the holy Son of God was crucified by unspeakable evil on a cruel cross in the most horrific crime ever committed in the life of our planet. Shouldn’t we call it “Evil Week”?

No we shouldn’t. Because this is the week that goodness, or holiness triumphed over evil. It was a week of cosmic battle between the forces of good and evil—and righteousness prevailed totally and completely. Evil has forever been condemned to second place in the power forces of world domination.

One purpose of Holy Week is to help us remember that good did triumph over evil in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ and because of that we do two things. First, those of us who have accepted Christ’s death on the cross by faith experience the joy of new life personally and communally, as we worship and work individually, and together with our fellow Christians, locally and around the world, to help Him make the world better.

That’s actually the second thing we do—we make the world better. This is found in John 10:10(NIV) where Jesus said, “The thief came only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” As people of God we cooperate with Jesus in what he came to do. His work on the cross was a complete work, but the results are seen incrementally as lives are transformed by the power of the Gospel of Christ working in individual hearts. This personal transformation, multiplied over and over again brings an amazing transformation to society that is the Divine plan.

So during Holy Week we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, proof of the greatest victory the world has ever known—a victory that makes possible ever more victories on top of victories. This wonderful victorious life of triumph over evil will continue and increase as long as this world exists and then will continue in heaven for eternity.

So this Holy Week and every resurrection Sunday of our lives we celebrate the victory of good over evil in the person Jesus Christ and in every person who lives a life redeemed by him and surrendered to the power of his Spirit living in us.

“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!”

I'm Rick Blumenberg . . .
and that's My View from Tanner Creek.