HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--GUEST AUTHOR LYNETTE SOFRAS

A former English teacher, Lynette Sofras gave up a high level career in education to focus on her writing a few years ago, thus fulfilling her lifelong dream. She mainly writes women fiction, often with suspense and/or a supernatural twist. Learn more about her and her books at her website and blog.

Increased life expectancy is something we ought to be able to celebrate, but with advancing years come many challenges and problems. Health issues apart, perhaps the most significant challenge facing many elderly people is that of loneliness. With the fragmentation of society, loss of partners or other family members, many old people lead isolated and often miserable existences, rarely seeing a friendly face from one day to the next. But what a difference a cheerful smile and a few kind words can make to the vulnerable in our society.

According to recent studies, within the next 30 years, the number of Americans aged 65 and older is set to more than double, reaching 88.5 million. This means that future generations will need to be prepared to care for a larger populace of elderly loved ones with ever-increasing needs.

There are many practical ways we can help and perhaps the most important is to ensure they eat healthily and of the foods they particularly enjoy, as well as having ready supplies of goods that meet their essential needs and allow them some independence and dignity.

My second contemporary romance, Shopping for Love was inspired by a lonely, elderly neighbour for whom I became a friend and carer. I used to take her to do her banking and weekly shopping, but when she moved into sheltered accommodation, she lost her confidence and became too unsteady on her feet to venture out, so asked me to take care of everything for her. On one occasion, while shopping for her, a rather delightful elderly gentleman struck up a brief conversation over the baffling choice and variety of tomatoes in the supermarket. And from little acorns (or should I say tomato seeds?) my novel was born.

Primary school teacher Emma does a weekly shop for her elderly neighbour Joan, while computer scientist Greg performs the same task for his aging grandfather. Needless to say the two meet while buying tomatoes and soon fall in love.

Shopping for Love

Love can find you in the strangest places - but it's never for sale!

They meet - of all places - buying tomatoes in the supermarket and there’s no denying the attraction is mutual. But Greg, a software developer, is still raw from his painful divorce and Emma, his children’s teacher, is recovering from her own heartache. Then the reappearance of Emma's career-obsessed ex-boyfriend and Greg's spiteful ex-wife threatens to kill their new love before it has even begun.

Is Emma’s love strong enough to survive Greg’s demanding past and the threats to both their careers? What will be the cost of falling in love in a world where everything comes with a high price tag?

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HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--GUEST AUTHOR SHARLEEN SCOTT ON ALZHEIMER'S

Alzheimer Flowers

Blue: I have Alzheimer’s. 

Purple: I have lost someone to Alzheimer’s disease. 

Yellow: I am supporting or caring for someone with Alzheimer’s. 

Orange: I support the cause and a vision of a world. without Alzheimer’s.

Romantic-suspense author Sharleen Scott is taking a brief detour from her CAUGHT series with the release of Tangles, a novel dedicated to her mother-in-law, Judy Scott, who succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease. Learn more about Sharleen and her books at her website. 

Why I wrote Tangles

Take a moment to form a mental picture. In this picture, imagine your family, friends, co-workers and acquaintances. Now for the hard reality: Someone in your mental snapshot has Alzheimer’s disease, will have it, or knows someone who does. Over five million Americans are afflicted with this mind-robbing disease right now, and that number will increase as the boomer generation ages.

Facts from the Alzheimer’s Association

Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. It is the most common form of dementia, but it isn’t a normal part of aging. There is no current cure. Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease are women. Alzheimer’s disease is the 6^th leading cause of death in the United States. To date, there are no survivors.

A Reason to Hope?

I recently attended the “Reason to Hope” breakfast, presented by the Alzheimer’s Association in my hometown, knowing the above facts. My family lost a loved one to this disease, and we know the feeling of hopelessness. But the name of the event intrigued me, and I went in search of a reason to hope.

The presentations were as expected. Videos of victims’ families relayed familiar pleas: this disease is fatal and a cure must be found. Families, activists, and Association volunteers told their stories of how this disease is personal to them, and that their goal is to someday have at least one survivor.

As I listened, I realized the reason to hope is in the research. The Alzheimer’s Association has a program called TrialMatch, which provides access to promising clinical studies being conducted across the country. Alzheimer’s patients today are getting involved in these vital studies to help find a cure for this devastating disease.

Research has also brought hope to families where early-onset Alzheimer’s is almost a certainty. Treatments are being tested on family members who test positive for the disease before symptoms even begin.

There are caregiver support groups to help those experiencing a heavy physical, emotional, and financial toll. Information gives caregivers hope.

What I’m doing to help

I’m forming a walk group, Team Tangles, and am participating in the Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s on September 19 in Yakima, Washington. I encourage you to join the fight either by joining a walk team (mine, if you are in the northwest) or donating to a team member. Visit www.alz.org for more information.

Together, we can make a difference.

Sharleen's Alzheimer’s Walk team page.

Tangles

Can tragedy mend a wounded family?

While faced with the challenge of his mother’s escalating Alzheimer’s disease, Logan McKinnon discovers secret journals that leave him questioning everything he knows about his family. With no one left to ask, Logan must find a man mentioned in the journals to discover a truth he may not want to know.

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