Untangling Caring for a Husband with Early Onset Alzheimer’s with Renée Harmon, MD
- S2021E23
- 49:27
- May 17th 2021
Today’s guest is Renée Brown Harmon, MD, author of the teaching memoir “Surfing the Waves of Alzheimer's: Principles of Caregiving That Kept Me Upright.” She and her husband Harvey created, developed, and shared a thriving family medicine private practice in Birmingham, Alabama, for more than twenty years. In 2010, Harvey, at age 50, was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s and forced to retire. Renée became “The Queen of Everything” at work and at home. She was a solo physician at their practice as well as Harvey’s primary caregiver, and primary parent to their two teenaged daughters. With reluctance and resentment, she also took on the role of head of household. It was a lot, but she managed to “surf the waves,” which she shares in her insightful book. Harvey’s dementia journey ended in memory care in 2018. Renée retired in 2019 and uses her time and talents to write and speak on Alzheimer’s and dementia while advocating for caregivers.
In this episode we discuss how being a physician affected her caregiving journey, how she tried to do it all herself but learned to reach out for help, and the creative ways her friends helped her and Harvey.
Read Renée’s AlzAuthors Post: https://alzauthors.com/2020/06/16/renee-harmon-earlyonset-alz-blog/
Start reading "Surfing the Waves of Alzheimer's: Principles of Caregiving That Kept Me Upright" now! https://amzn.to/3atH7jU
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Connect with Renée
Website: https://www.reneeharmon.com/
Blog: https://www.reneeharmon.com/blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reneeharmonauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reneeharmon_writes/?hl=en
About the Podcast
AlzAuthors is the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer’s and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. Our podcast introduces you to our authors who share their stories and insights to provide knowledge, comfort, and support. Please subscribe so you don’t miss a word. If our authors’ stories move you, please leave a review. And don’t forget to share our podcast with family and friends on their own dementia journeys.
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AlzAuthors: Untangling Alzheimer's & Dementia
Welcome to the AlzAuthors podcast! We’re so glad you found us. We are the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer's and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. Join us each week as one of our authors shares their dementia journey, revealing intimate details and painfully obtained knowledge to help others currently on this path. We hope our stories offer comfort and support as we strive to break the silence and stigma surrounding a dementia diagnosis. May one of our authors speak to your experience. For more info please visit https://alzauthors.com.
Ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast belong to the speakers and not AlzAuthors. Always consult your healthcare provider and legal and financial consultants for advice on any of the topics covered here.
Meet Our Hosts
Marianne Sciucco is a registered nurse, dementia daughter, and author of the novel Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer’s love story, based on a couple she met through her work. It is a testament to the power of love in the face of this heart-wrenching disease. Marianne cared for hundreds of dementia patients over a 20+-year nursing career. She provided care to her stepfather during his dementia journey, and witnessed the painful decline of four beloved aunts to the disease. She's a founding member of AlzAuthors, sits on the Board, and is a director and manager. She can talk about AlzAuthors all day.
Christy Byrne Yates is a Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP), retired school psychologist, author, speaker and coach/consultant. Her book, Building a Legacy of Love: Thriving in the Sandwich Generation recounts her journey as a working mother of two who also managed the care of her parents, both of whom had some form of dementia. Combining her lived experience with her professional expertise in human development, wellness and a strengths based approach to finding solutions, Christy develops content, workshops and coaching to support Sandwiched families. She incorporates meditation, mindfulness and other evidence based mind/body practices into her work. She’s worked with care communities, financial professionals, estate planners and employers. Christy has a master’s degree in counseling psychology, and graduate credentials in both education and school psychology.
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AlzAuthors is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. The podcast is one way we provide knowledge, comfort, and support to busy caregivers desperate for information. Your generosity will help us to continue our mission to lift the silence and stigma that often accompanies a dementia diagnosis. Please consider making a donation. Thank you.