Every night before leaving Dad, I move in close and say, “Arlabunakti” (Good night). Initially, when I started these nighttime visits, I was amazed to hear Dad reply “Arlabunakti” back to me. But you know how things go: new becomes normal. Then, one night, Dad surprised me with a next-level follow up. “Kā ar buču?” (What about a kiss?), he asked in perfect Latvian.[…]

Bedtime chronicles of dementia care

A month of nights

“It’s been a month since I decided to respond to alarms about Dad’s evening unruliness by attending his retirement residence at bedtime. “My plan is to help Dad in the evenings as long as possible,”

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