Connecting in the Land of Dementia

By Deborah Shouse As my mother moved deeper into dementia, I treasured every moment of connection with her. Often it was only a minute or two, sitting shoulder to shoulder on the bench in the courtyard of the memory care unit, watching the community bunny rabbit nibble on grass. Leafing through a celebrity magazine and Mom pointing to George Clooney saying, “He’s good looking.” (Her first sentence in days—dare I tell my father?). After Mom died, my partner Ron’s parents each lived with dementia and we continued our quest for connection.