Elaine Eshbaugh, PhD, professor of Gerontology and Family Studies at the University of Northern Iowa, was my go-to expert during my years as caregiver to my late husband Peter. She has more qualifications than my sugar maple has “helicopters.” Though Dr. Eshbaugh and I have never met, I feel comfortable referring to her by her given name, Elaine. She seems so approachable. I’ve followed her blog through its several name and format iterations. She is very knowledgeable, not in a stuffy professorial way, rather down to earth, humble and caring. She’s also a hoot, a tell it like it is, an everybody’s favorite professor type.

If your life has been impacted in any way by dementia in any of its forms, I urge you to follow her blog, “When Dementia Knocks.” She’ll reel you in with the first paragraph in “Basketball and Birds.” She writes: “If you know me, you probably know March is my favorite month. Two reasons: 1) Spring, 2) Basketball. My husband and I are known for putting three TVs in the living room so we don’t miss any NCAA tournament games.” Read this post from last year for a timely dose of Elaine: https://whendementiaknocks.com/2023/03/13/basketball-and-birds/

“You know I’m not about rainbows and unicorns,” Elaine says in a post from 2018. I’d been reading her blog for several years by then, but the link below solidified my addiction to Elaine Eshbaugh: https://whendementiaknocks.com/2018/03/05/the-purpose-of-welcome-to-dementialand

I came across a basketball slogan that could well be a metaphor for dementia care.
I think Elaine would like it:

Rebound from set backs,
Block out distractions,
Assist others,
Drive to improve.