Lyn and Bill Roche
Published authors,
newspaper columnists, and inspirational speakers
A Journey of
Caring
Lyn Roche’s first realization there was something
wrong with her father’s memory was the day he got lost driving a familiar route.
He’d made the four-hour journey between his home and hers many times. However,
when coming to a football game at his grandchildren’s high school, Grandpa
became confused, totally lost, and late for the event.
That
happened in the early 1980’s. Lyn had read a little bit about a then
not-too-well-known disease called Alzheimer’s. Little did she know that the
word Alzheimer’s and the word journey would both take on great significance in
her life and the lives of many others she and her husband Bill would touch.
After
her father experienced more unusual incidents, competent professionals did
numerous tests. The result was a diagnosis of “probable Alzheimer’s disease.”
In the 80’s not many physicians were actually using the “A” word.
Lyn’s
dad was only 63 at the time. He lived with Alzheimer’s for 13 years. Her
parents moved to be near Lyn shortly after the diagnosis. Lyn and her mom
became his caregivers. Just a short time later, Bill’s mother was diagnosed
with the same disease. She lived with the condition for 9 years.
Lyn also took over the care of her grandmother
who lived to be 95, but did not have dementia. With teenage children still at
home, she was experiencing what is now called the “sandwich generation.”
Today,
we hear of many families caring for loved ones experiencing Alzheimer’s and
related conditions. The Alzheimer’s Association says seven out of ten are cared
for at home. Thirteen million baby boomers care for ailing parents and the
number is growing.
According to Newsweek,
June 18, 2007, an estimated 5.1 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease.
Relatives care for 87% of them. Among caregivers, 6% care for a spouse, 8% take
care of a father, 11% care for a mother-in-law, 16% care for a grandparent, 36%
care for a mother, 10% care for other relatives (brother, sister, aunt, uncle,
cousin,) and 13% care for a person who is not a relative.
In
2005, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance, nearly one out of every four
households (or 22.4 million households) were involved in caregiving to persons
aged 50 or older – not just, but including persons afflicted with Alzheimer’s.
The
Lyn and Bill didn’t know they would become
“trail blazers” on an unexpected and unfamiliar journey affecting millions of
their fellow Americans. Little was written then to help families cope. There
were only a few fledgling caregiver support groups here and there. Adult day
care services were rare. And, when a care facility was needed during the last
three years of her father’s life, the only one that provided a safe secure unit
with properly trained personnel was a two-hour drive for the family.
Following
their years of caregiving, Lyn and Bill could have chosen to enjoy their empty nest.
They could have put Alzheimer’s behind them. Instead, they chose to help other
families involved in caregiving. Lyn felt a book was needed that would be
uplifting on a daily basis and provide practical tips to help relieve caregiver
stress – while promoting ways of maintaining the adult dignity of their care
recipients.
She wrote the book in
1995. Elder Books published it under the
title Coping With Caring; Daily Reflections for Alzheimer’s Caregivers. People started calling Lyn “the caregiver’s
caregiver.” They sold their house, bought a motorhome, and began sharing with
caregivers around the country. Together Lyn and Bill created “A Breath of Fresh
Air” events and presented them in towns as diverse as
They named their motorhome
and their working partnership Journey. Bill says, “Life is a journey and
sometimes we find ourselves on unexpected and unplanned detours, but the truly
happy person is the one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.”
In 1999, after four years
of traveling the country, the Roches settled down again. This time they chose
Apparently, complete
retirement is not yet a part of their life’s journey. In 2000 they began
volunteering as accredited facilitators for an Alzheimer’s Association’s weekly
support group. Recently, they also became accredited facilitators for the Lewy
Body Dementia Association.
The couple co-authored and
published Sharing The Care; When Someone You Love Resides in an Adult Care
Facility in 2004. That same year, their weekly column Boomers & Beyond
was birthed in Highlands Today, a Media General newspaper. The popular column
explores all the many aspects of being seniors today.
In 2006, Lyn and Bill
published a revised edition of Lyn’s first book. The new edition is Coping
With Caring; When Someone You Love Has Alzheimer’s or a Related Condition.
July 21, 2007 was the
debut of yet another column. Bill says naming it was simple. Lyn’s column The
Caregiver’s Caregiver™ appears every other week in Tampa Tribune’s 4You health
and wellness magazine− as well as a growing number of publications across
the country.
Speaking, writing, or
working with caregivers, it’s obvious Lyn and Bill love life and they love
people. They know first-hand what a caregiver’s day is like. They always
inspire caregivers to take as good care of themselves as they do their loved
ones!
Through “A Breath of Fresh
Air” events, caregivers receive valuable information and practical tools.
They’re reminded how special they are by people who have been in their shoes.
“A Breath of Fresh Air” event touches hearts and lives in a very special way.
©Journey
Publications 2008
Please visit Lyn
& Bill’s websites!
www.thecaregiverscaregiver.com
www.boomersandbeyondthecolumn.com