Helene Berger Untangles Choosing Joy in the Dementia Journey

About Helene Berger Prior to assuming the role of dementia caregiver to Ady, her husband of fifty years, Helene Berger held major positions of leadership throughout her life, in her home community of Miami, Florida, and across the United States. She is recognized as a powerful and inspirational speaker, and has used her voice and influence to marshal help for large and diverse groups of people with a wide variety of needs. Choosing Joy, Alzheimer’s: A Book of Hope is her first book. It was inspired by the unanticipated, positive results that her husband Ady achieved after his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. It is a comprehensive guide, combining the concrete methodologies learned over the following six years, as well as inspirational examples and philosophy. Although written about her experience with Alzheimer’s, her guidance applies to a loved one with any type of debilitating disease – as well as to all the meaningful relationships in our lives. It is a rare book of hope, providing practical and emotional support to both the caregiver and the patient. And all the while, it is a love story, and an honest retelling of a lifetime journey. In this episode, we discuss many of the strategies Helene learned to help Ady thrive despite Alzheimer’s. Her techniques, delivered with patience and love, allowed him to maintain his dignity and individuality. These include her belief that it is better to ask questions rather than make demands, the difference between “not now” and “never,” and the wisdom that 50 years of marriage brought to their dementia journey. Helene acknowledges that her techniques may not work for everyone and may not produce the results she achieved with Ady, but they are certainly worth a try. Read Helene’s AlzAuthors Post: https://alzauthors.com/2020/08/04/helene-berger-alzheimers-memoir/ Start reading Choosing Joy, Alzheimer’s: A Book of Hope now! https://amzn.to/3akdkat Note: We are an Amazon Associate and may receive a small commission from book sales. Connect with Helene Website: https://heleneberger.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helenerberger Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeleneRBerger Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helenerberger/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helene-berger About the Podcast AlzAuthors is the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer’s and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. Our podcast introduces you to our authors who share their stories and insights to provide knowledge, comfort, and support. Please subscribe so you don’t miss a word. If our authors’ stories move you, please leave a review. And don’t forget to share our podcast with family and friends on their own dementia journeys. We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. Your generosity will help cover our many operating costs, which include website hosting and maintenance fees, service charges to keep things running smoothly, and marketing expenses to promote our authors, expand our content, improve our reach, and more. Our ongoing work supports our mission to lift the silence and stigma of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. To sustain our efforts please donate here. Ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast belong to the speakers and not AlzAuthors. Always consult your healthcare provider and legal and financial consultants for advice on any of the topics covered here. Thanks for listening. We are a Whole Care Network Featured Podcast. Proud to be on The Health Podcast Network. Want to be on the podcast? Here’s what you need to know. Shop our Store Join our book club