By Kim Anderson
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, and a diagnosis can drastically alter life plans.
Dr. Laura Doan, professor in the School of Education at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), suggests that while Alzheimer’s is highly stigmatized and presents significant challenges for those with the disease and their caregivers, it doesn’t mean the end of hope or the chance to create lasting family memories.
Doan recently published She’s Still My Mom: Navigating Your Loved One’s Journey with Alzheimer’s, a book detailing her eight-year journey alongside her mother, from diagnosis to her passing.
As an early childhood educator, observing and documenting progress comes naturally to Doan. When her mother received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, she instinctively began documenting and sharing their experience on social media. Doan regularly posted about daily activities, including going on walks, conversations they had, or moments when her mom was less communicative. Almost immediately, two friends reached out, grateful for the posts and Doan’s openness to share their experience.
“They reached out to me to say, ‘Thank you for your posts; you’re helping me understand my dad,’” says Doan. “Both friends were just beginning to understand a new diagnosis with their father. This was in response to simple little posts, not essays, but they were helping people. That’s how it all started.”
That initial feedback gave Doan the idea that others could benefit from hearing about their experience navigating life with the diagnosis, leading her to write the book. She’s Still My Mom is both practical and deeply personal. It’s story-driven, with each short chapter summarized with key thoughts, actions, thoughts for resilience and self-care. Doan’s intention was to share the most important things she learned about supporting someone with Alzheimer’s.
“Readers can open the book and learn more about anything from communication to feeding a loved one,” she says. “The chapters are not terribly long either, so someone who doesn’t have a lot of time can spend 15 minutes reading, and they’ll have gotten something out of it.”
A recurring theme throughout the book is the importance of working with rather than against your loved one. Doan shares tips, advising against correcting them unnecessarily, or insisting they do something a certain way. She advocates for accepting them as they are and creating new family memories together.
Doan stresses the importance of a strong community and looking out for caregivers.
“I make a lot of connections to early childhood education, where there’s the idea that ‘it takes a village’ to raise a child. There’s acceptance of this idea when you have a young family requiring some respite. I think we need to have that same idea around people in our community who live with Alzheimer’s. As a caregiver, being able to have some time by yourself is so important, but it can sometimes get lost,” she says.
Doan hopes the open storytelling within her book honours her mother’s candid nature, creates shared understanding around dementia and helps to de-stigmatize Alzheimer’s and the experiences of caregivers.
The TRU community celebrated Doan’s book with a launch event on May 3. Yasmin Dean, dean of the Faculty of Education and Social Work, attended the book launch with her own mother, and stressed the importance of community connections that events like these provide.
“A cornerstone of the work being done at universities is about community engagement and knowledge sharing,” said Dean.
“Celebrating the release of Dr. Doan’s book not only recognizes a faculty member’s contribution to knowledge sharing but also provides a tangible way for individuals and families to increase their capacity for coping during very difficult times. Achievements like these belong to everyone: the author and their family, the university and the community.”
For more information on She’s Still My Mom, visit www.laurakdoan.com
