My mother had Alzheimer's disease, and I was her caregiver for sixteen months 1994-1995. She died at age 80 after four months in a nursing home. In her memory, I began a Web site in 1996-- A Year to Remember, http://www.zarcrom.com/users/yeartorem/
which has grown to around 300 pages, including my caregiving journal, my poetry, photos, links to Alzheimer's and caregiving resources, contributed poetry, stories, and articles, a bibliography and filmography, and more.
I had left graduate school needing twelve more semester hours when I moved in with my mother to be her caregiver. Though I wasn't able to go back at first, I did in Jan. 1998, and I graduated in December of that year. I am Technical Services/Reference Librarian at Calhoun Community College in Decatur, Alabama. I am also the Library's Webmaster-- something I owe to my mother, as I don't think I would have learned HTML as soon or as well if it had not been for my site in memory of her.
Her story was also a gift to me. It gave me a purpose after she was gone. In telling her story, my grief has healed, and I have a mission of helping other caregivers. My hope is when they read her story and use the Internet links I have collected, caregivers will be more informed and feel less alone in the journey with their loved ones.
My first book, published 2000, is Waiting for the Morning: A Mother and Daughter's Journey through Alzheimer's Disease. It includes my poetry, caregiving journal, treasured family photos, a bibliography, and a webliography. The second, published 2001, is Help for the Caring, a bibliography and filmography of Alzheimer's.