I Will Never Forget

A rather touching and emotional read, topped with loving humour as you follow the author, Elaine, and her 'mom', Betty, through the heartbreaking decline of Dementia. Immediately you are aware of the beautiful close bond of mother and daughter through childhood and family memories, past events and tender moments experienced through the illness. I especially felt that the support from the Elaine's husband, Joe, was paramount in aiding Elaine through such a turmoil. You will find yourself feeling the emotions, enjoying the lighter moments, understanding Elaine's concerns and her mom's struggles, as well as laughing through the stories and the newly acquired 'escape artist' skills and for me especially at the end filling with tears. This isn't just a memoir, a tribute to her mom, it's a major insight into how Dementia can begin, how it starts to slowly win the battle and unbelievably takes away the mind of your loved one. Highlighting the issues she experienced along the way, in a soft yet informative way, the author brings awareness of having to deal with Dementia, caring for someone with Dementia and the tough decisions on finding the suitable choices of care as well as accepting the professional advice offered even though it's hard. Elaine is extremely honest about the tell tale signs she could have picked up on earlier, but in hindsight this is the case of many illnesses. The early warning signs appear yet sometimes they are far too easy to overlook or to put them down to something else, especially if the patient is trying to mask the illness to protect loved ones from the true reality. The actual acceptance can be just far too great for both patient and carer. A tremendous loving tribute of her Mom's Dementia journey, sharing her insights to those who may be in a similar situation. Be ready for joy, happiness, sadness, loss and shock in this wonderful read.