Paper
Halls C & D (Indiana Convention Center)
Saturday, November 12, 2005
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Halls C & D (Indiana Convention Center)
Sunday, November 13, 2005
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Halls C & D (Indiana Convention Center)
Sunday, November 13, 2005
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
This presentation is part of : Creative and Expressive Arts in Nursing
My Mother Has Alzheimers - Glimpses of a Daughter's Journey
Marjory D. Williams, RN, MSN, SWBRC 3-124, Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, Tucson, AZ, USA

This anthology of poems illustrates the author's perspective of the process through which family members cope with dementia. These poems illuminate the depth and breadth of the dimensions of individual and family adaptation to which health care providers must remain sensitive in addressing the needs of families impacted by Alzheimers and other forms of dementia. The poems are the result of the application of poetry therapy as an adjunct to other therapeutic interventions commonly implemented for family care. The poems represent the impact of dementia as an ongoing and evolving tragedy. This series of expressions provides a different perspective on the meaning of death and the stages of grief surrounding the loss of a parent to terminal dementia, information that may provide impetus for further study. Additionally, these writings allude to the potential significance and therapeutic power of connectedness to self in the process of coping, healing and recovery. The exercise of capturing therapeutic discoveries and the sense of self-connectedness in written expression provides the opportunity for reflective application beyond the individual person, situation, or time, thus providing a basis for enhancing professional practice through personal growth and insight. This submission embraces the value of diverse approaches to facilitate healing and provides a perspective that may facilitate a more holistic view of the multi-dimensional loss and isolation experienced by family members impacted by similar ongoing tragedies.