Hello everyone! Here is a little summary up pages 101-205 (until the section titled "November 2004")
From the second part, we can see that although Alice has already informed her family about her illness, she still struggles to fully accept the reality of being sick. There is a certain adaptation between Alice and the disease, and her family is also trying to adapt to Alice's condition. Despite Alice's doubts about whether the current medical conditions can cure her, she still hopes to participate in clinical trials, even though the hope is little, she doesn't want to give up.
Unfortunately, Alice's cognitive and navigational abilities are gradually declining. Sometimes she gets lost in her own home, and she may eagerly anticipate her daughter's performance only to forget afterward that it's her own daughter. Sometimes she is aware of her own condition, but to avoid showing her vulnerability, she reduces her communication with her family. Her family tries various ways to make her happier, such as her husband buying DVDs, and her daughter, despite being angry, giving her diary to Alice.
When Alice decides to leave her teaching position, she believes that she had hidden it well in the past, but in reality, she had already shown many symptoms, which she was unaware of, but her students had noticed.
In the "November 2004" chapter, it is a reminder to the reader that Alice's condition is getting worse. Whether watching videos or home recordings, she can only remember things vaguely, and her written responses become increasingly brief, indicating that she can recall less and less information.
Below will be discussion questions! Please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions, and answers in the comments.
1. What were your impressions and reflections on these chapters?
2. At the beginning, there was mention of an elevator code, and Alice thought that the patients wouldn't be able to remember it. I feel that this reflects how people who are not patients often don't consider the patient's perspective, and sometimes even neglect their needs. This is also echoed in Chapter November 2004 when Alice wanted to connect with others in similar situations but was rejected. It makes me wonder if today's care centers tend to focus only on keeping patients "physically alive." What do you think?
3. While at the care center, Alice noticed that, apart from one husband, she didn't see other family members. There could be various reasons why the families of these patients don't visit frequently. However, I'd like to discuss different cultural perspectives on care centers. I come from Taiwan, where we have the concept of "Filial Piety." In traditional culture, sending a family member to a care center would be considered unethical and could be criticized. So, I'm curious to know how this is viewed in your culture. Would you want to stay in the care center in the future?
4. The World Health Organization defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity." With many diseases or conditions, a person's physical health is severely impacted but they are still able to maintain a level of mental and social well-being. For Alice, it seems as though Alzheimer's has impacted all three states of well-being. What do you think about this? Are there ways that public health practitioners can better support Alzheimer's patients?
5. There have been several instances so far where Alice's condition has been publicly noticeable to others around her. For example, Alice poses a profound question during a meeting with colleagues but then goes on to repeat it almost word for word just minutes later. What has it been like for you, as the reader, to watch Alice's mental decline? What feelings or thoughts has it evoked?
Here is a little summary up pages 101-205 (until the section titled "November 2004")
From the second part, we can see that although Alice has already informed her family about her illness, she still struggles to fully accept the reality of being sick. There is a certain adaptation between Alice and the disease, and her family is also trying to adapt to Alice's condition. Despite Alice's doubts about whether the current medical conditions can cure her, she still hopes to participate in clinical trials, even though the hope is little, she doesn't want to give up.
Unfortunately, Alice's cognitive and navigational abilities are gradually declining. Sometimes she gets lost in her own home, and she may eagerly anticipate her daughter's performance only to forget afterward that it's her own daughter. Sometimes she is aware of her own condition, but to avoid showing her vulnerability, she reduces her communication with her family. Her family tries various ways to make her happier, such as her husband buying DVDs, and her daughter, despite being angry, giving her diary to Alice.
When Alice decides to leave her teaching position, she believes that she had hidden it well in the past, but in reality, she had already shown many symptoms, which she was unaware of, but her students had noticed.
In the "November 2004" chapter, it is a reminder to the reader that Alice's condition is getting worse. Whether watching videos or home recordings, she can only remember things vaguely, and her written responses become increasingly brief, indicating that she can recall less and less information.
Below will be discussion questions! Please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions, and answers in the comments.
1. What were your impressions and reflections on these chapters?
2. At the beginning, there was mention of an elevator code, and Alice thought that the patients wouldn't be able to remember it. I feel that this reflects how people who are not patients often don't consider the patient's perspective, and sometimes even neglect their needs. This is also echoed in Chapter November 2004 when Alice wanted to connect with others in similar situations but was rejected. It makes me wonder if today's care centers tend to focus only on keeping patients "physically alive." What do you think?
3. While at the care center, Alice noticed that, apart from one husband, she didn't see other family members. There could be various reasons why the families of these patients don't visit frequently. However, I'd like to discuss different cultural perspectives on care centers. I come from Taiwan, where we have the concept of "Filial Piety." In traditional culture, sending a family member to a care center would be considered unethical and could be criticized. So, I'm curious to know how this is viewed in your culture. Would you want to stay in the care center in the future?
4. The World Health Organization defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity." With many diseases or conditions, a person's physical health is severely impacted but they are still able to maintain a level of mental and social well-being. For Alice, it seems as though Alzheimer's has impacted all three states of well-being. What do you think about this? Are there ways that public health practitioners can better support Alzheimer's patients?
5. There have been several instances so far where Alice's condition has been publicly noticeable to others around her. For example, Alice poses a profound question during a meeting with colleagues but then goes on to repeat it almost word for word just minutes later. What has it been like for you, as the reader, to watch Alice's mental decline? What feelings or thoughts has it evoked?