Author Frances Fuller, whose book 'Helping Yourself Grow Old' addresses aging with personal insight, recently published a blog post examining memory care in assisted living facilities. The post, titled "A Question to Ask: Is There Memory Care?" distinguishes between normal age-related forgetfulness and serious cognitive conditions requiring specialized care.
Fuller notes that mild forgetfulness—such as misplacing items or needing more time to recall names—is common and typically reflects normal aging rather than cognitive decline. However, she emphasizes that dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, constitutes serious illness rather than natural aging. This distinction is crucial for families evaluating care options.
The author describes how qualified memory care departments must be staffed with trained professionals who can identify specific brain-related issues from patient behavior. This expertise enables appropriate reactions to emerging issues and helps patients function at their fullest ability while ensuring safety. Fuller observed that in memory care wards, group activities focusing on tactile experiences and familiar stimuli prove particularly effective.
"I discovered when visiting our memory ward that the residents responded with great interest to my stuffed animals," Fuller writes. "They wanted to hold them, rub their fur, talk to them. Probably these objects brought back youthful experiences, made patients feel more alive." She notes that music appears particularly therapeutic, with familiar songs often making residents more alert and happy.
The full post is available at https://www.inborrowedhouseslebanon.com/a-question-to-ask-is-there-memory-care/.
Fuller's book 'Helping Yourself Grow Old, Things I Said To Myself When I Was Almost Ninety' offers thirty-eight personal essays addressing aging challenges including grief, loneliness, physical limitations, and finding meaning in later life. Unlike many academic books on aging, Fuller's work provides firsthand perspective from someone navigating these issues personally.
The book has drawn praise for its honest, conversational tone and practical wisdom. One Amazon reviewer noted, "I find myself thinking, 'I need to read this again and take notes!' It's full of wisdom, humor, and grace." For group discussions, Fuller has made discussion questions available at her website http://www.FrancesFullerAuthor.com.
Fuller's previous work 'In Borrowed Houses' has received multiple awards including the Grand Prize in the 2015 '50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading' Book Awards. A free ebook sample from that book is available at http://www.payhip.com/francesfuller.
Understanding the distinction between normal aging and dementia has significant implications for families making care decisions and for the broader conversation about aging in society. Fuller's perspective highlights both the importance of specialized memory care for those who need it and the normalcy of mild forgetfulness for most aging individuals.
