More than an Alzheimer’s Blog

A faith-filled reflection on Alzheimer’s caregiving, spiritual comfort, and the truth that even when the mind forgets, God remembers our souls completely.

In this deeply personal Alzheimer’s caregiving story, Laura reflects on the loving ritual of making homemade tortillas de harina with her abuela — a family tradition shaped by muscle memory, warm kitchens, and steaming butter-rolled tortillas. This story honors the emotional experience of caring for a loved one with dementia while celebrating culture, memory, and the food that connects us.

Before Grandma’s illness, her kitchen was the heart of our home— tortillas warm from the griddle, and laughter echoing off the walls. In Ria’s earliest memories, every meal told a story; but as Grandma changed, so did the food — and the pieces of her we thought we knew began to slip away.

Lori was still a child when Grandma’s world started slipping away. In this early memory she was thrown in the position of the translator, the guide, the one standing between confusion and care. An awkward encounter became a lesson in growing up too soon — a quiet rehearsal for the larger role she was now learning to play.

When his mother’s memories began to fade, he made a promise: she would never face the darkness alone. With his children beside him, he learned to navigate the heartbreaks and small joys of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease. Lead by determination and steadfast prayer, this is the story of a family bound together by love, faith, and the unspoken hope that caring for one life can transform many.