Joyous jaunts.

It’s so important, care-givers, to keep the Alzheimer-riddled physically active. Get them up. Walking. Preferably outdoors. Daily. And if they can’t walk. Put them in a wheelchair. Or in a car. Give them a sense of motion. Movement, movement and more movement. I’ve experimented with such therapy. And it works. Wonderfully. Physical exercise stimulates the mind. Really in everyone. But more importantly, it's vital for those with dementia.  My greatest dread. Isn’t dying. But lingering on without being able to go for long daily walks. To move about. To breathe fresh air. To commune with Mother Nature. That’s the way to make life a little easier. For those with Alzheimer’s.The injection of a dose of pleasure. Into a fading mind. Make me king. And I’d immediately decree that all dementia patients be given daily exercise And abundant whiffs of fresh air. Won’t be a cure for dementia. But it'll bring pleasure. A fundamental ingredient. Of the good life. I saw to it. With my dear sweet Jeanne. Especially in the last three years of her life. Put her in a wheelchair. Even in mid-winter in cold and blustery Minnesota. Wrapped in a thermal sleeping bag. And away we went. For joyous jaunts of up to 10 miles most days. Making for a better life. For Jeanne. For me. Now I do the same for my friend Ron. Always. When I visit. Ron ambles with me. On foot. Or in his wheelchair. See to it, my fellow care-givers.  Exercise and motion. On a sustained basis. Natural stimulants. For the good life. –Jim Broede