GB: What
caregivers often don’t realize when
thinking about placing a loved one
in a facility is that they are still
in charge; it’s just their role that
will change.
BG: Mom
did that; she really took charge of
how the facility dealt with Dad and
she was over there two or three
times a week. I’m not sure how it
all evolved, but the people at this
facility really embraced us as a
family because we were so unified in
what we were doing. We’ve got a
really strong bond and love each
other dearly. I think they related
to that and they appreciated it, and
they loved to see the support that
we gave. Mom would go over there and
it would be like the president had
come in to town; she was always
welcomed with open arms and
enthusiasm. It was the right
scenario and it made a huge
difference for us.
GB: What advice
do you have for family caregivers?
BG: If
they’re dealing with Alzheimer’s,
get in touch with the Alzheimer’s
Foundation immediately because they
can direct you to where you need to
go. Or contact the Leeza Gibbons
Memory Foundation because she set up
that organization to do just what I
needed—to be there, to be a clearing
house of information, and to give
sympathy and understanding out of
one, central place. Boy, had I known
about Leeza’s Memory Foundation back
then, it would have been the first
phone call I made. She’s lived
through it and she knows what she
needed when this whole craziness
first began with her mother, and she
has set up the foundation to respond
to those needs.
