This is an ongoing Video Series created by Rick Phelps. Rick is an EOAD (Early-Onset Alzheimer Disease) patient but instead of fading away with this disease Rick has done something different, very different. Rick has decided to make videos and record the 
affects of this disease on him and, perhaps, bring awareness and education about Alzheimer’s and EOAD to other people.
For the Caregiver, it’s an exceptional opportunity to see how the person with Alzheimer’s feels and thinks. Rick is 57 years old and lives in Ohio with his wife of many years Phyllis and his family and grandchildren near by. Rick worked in public safety for 24+ years as a law enforcement officer and a EMT for Coshocton County EMS until his EOAD forced him into early retirement in June of 2010.
Now, Rick spends his time working to bring Alzheimer’s treatment, research, awareness, education and support to the forefront of the medical field and people’s everyday lives.
Rick has started numerous facebook groups for those with Alzheimer’s as well as their family members and caregivers. One group is ” Memory people,”along with several others including one for teenagers who have a family member or loved one with Alzheimer’s called “Memory people for teens.” A website for Alzheimer’s patients and Caregivers, Living with Alzheimer’s. Rick believes that Alzheimer’s is not only a patients disease but a caregivers disease.
If you’d like to see more of Rick Phelp’s fascinating videos, including videos from his loving wife Phyllis, they can be found at: Rick Phelps Videos at YouTube
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The Entire Ongoing Series of Videos from Rick Phelps can be Viewed at his Website:
LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S
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This is good! Rick is capable ofputting into words the feelings of most of us AD patients. I have EOAD also but just couldn’t do what he has done here. This should be an excellant electron trail for others to follow after Rick and I have passed.
Tom
Thank you for your comment. I feel the same. I’m delighted that Rick is willing to share so much with us. It’s a great opportunity for others to learn so much. Sandy
Thank you Sandy for including my videos on your website. I hope people get the information I am trying to put out there. It is not easy to do these videos, but they need to be done. I will continue as long as I can, bringing Awareness to this terrible disease.
Again, thank you for sharing them…
It was my pleasure to add these videos, Rick. My readers are mostly caregivers and they’ve learned much more from these videos than anything I could write. Thanks so much, Sandy
Any chance you could post Rick’s most recent video at the top of the page instead of his first video? OR at least have the feature where it is easy to go to his most recent one? Great site. Thanks, Ethan
Hi Ethan,
That’s a great idea. Since I don’t always update Rick’s videos, I’ll add a link to his video pages so that you can go directly to view all his videos. Rick’s a great guy and we certainly appreciate all that he shares.
Thank you for letting me know, and I’m glad you enjoy the website.
Sandy
My Mum has Alzheimers, she is 75. Her Brother died with it and her Sister is in a home for it. Our Mum hasn’t got to that stage yet. She lives 24/7 with my little Sister who takes tremendous care of her. She makes sure she has a wash every second day, cleans her dentures every 2nd day, makes sure she has white meat and fish, alternately daily. She buys pro-active margarine and probiotic yogurts to help her digestion, but I fear it is getting too much for her. Although I know it would be a last resort to put Our Mum in a home, it doesn’t help you feel any better. And we don’t see the full emotional impact it has on my Sister cause we are not there 24/7. I was just wondering if anybody could give us any insight to the future of this disease. We do know the outcome. It’s the in-between time and if we are doing all that we can to assist our Mum in the day to day life that she is with us. Any help would be appreciated, thank you.
Hello Annette,
There is really no way to know how long your mum will stay alert and able to function. Someone with Alzheimer’s lifespan can depend greatly on their well-being and other health factors. My Mom had late stage Alzheimer’s but passed away from lung disease. She never smoked, but her lungs just happened to be the part of her body that no longer functioned well by age 83. Otherwise, Mom was physically healthy but had no short term memory.
It sounds like your sister is taking wonderful care of your mum. You’re right though, your sister could be feeling a lot of fatigue but not complain because she’s putting your mum first. If there are other family members who live close by, perhaps they could give her breaks periodically. Take your Mum out for a day or stay with her for a day, and allow your sister a day of respite.
I see that you’re in the UK so I’m not totally sure what resources you have. In the US, we can contact the Alzheimer’s Association and they have resources to share for those who are caregivers. You may try the Alzheimer’s Society in the UK and see if they have such resources.
If your sister has a computer, there are a couple of good support groups for those with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. At Facebook: Memory People, and Forget Me Not are both very nice group forums. I visit them often and think your sister would enjoy either one. I hope she’s able to join a group, forum, memory cafe, or call the Alzheimer’s Society for other resources available to her.
I’m delighted you stopped by, Annette, and thank you for sharing this story of your sweet mum and wonderful sister.
All the best and let us know if you find a great group for your sis!
~Sandy