About The Long Goodbye Club

Alzheimer’s doesn’t just take a person’s mind all at once, it takes them piece by piece. You grieve them over and over before they’re gone.

Our care-giving journey began the day a doctor told us it was time to start looking for nursing homes for our grandmother. With no real experience in care-giving—and none with Alzheimer’s or dementia—we endured what became a 16-year journey that transformed our lives. Her care became a family effort, carried primarily by the immediate family (consisting of 7 members of various ages and personalities) living under the same roof.

Together we learned how to navigate the daily care-giving activities and day to day changes caused by this somewhat unpredictable disease. We were constantly adapting, and sometimes stumbling, to new phases of the disease. Although each phase had it’s challenges, our family banded together, often using laughter to get through the hardest times.

We believe that sharing the humor, heartache, and small moments of victory that come with Alzheimer’s can bring people together, reminding us that we’re not alone and there is always hope. So we started this blog to share our stories (which sometimes include dark humor) and to share the stories of others going through the care-giving experience. We hope our stories bring people comfort, laughter, and a sense of community.