FEBRUARY 2023 - 1
Spiritual Caregiving & Dementia: Interview with Colette Bachand
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3
Several years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Reverend Colette Bachand. Bachand had just moved to Moore County to serve as the chaplain for Penick Village here in Southern Pines. I learned she had written a book on spiritual caregiving, a term entirely new to me, and took a copy home with me. As I considered the importance of caregiving for this month’s issue, I remembered passages from Bachand’s book. Do This, Remembering Me: The Spiritual Care of Those with Alzheimer’s and Dementia, is a collection of insights, stories and lessons from her experience working with families supporting loved ones with dementia as well as those living with dementia. Colette also writes about her experience caring for her father who lived with dementia. The editor in me wants to correct the previous sentence, in which I use ‘Colette’ rather than Bachand. Technically, I should be consistent using the Reverend’s last name, but I think the “error” speaks to the impact of Colette’s book. It’s personal. By the end, the reader has been on the journey with Colette down the halls of care communities, by bedsides and alongside her father in a straw hat adorned with flowers. We learn how to care for those we love through Colette’s wisdom and insight but, most importantly, through her willingness to share herself and her own experiences caring for others. We thank Colette for her willingness to share even more with ONC and our readers.
continued on page 6 ASK THE EXPERT: HELPING HANDS EYE HEALTH: 7 TIPS FOR HEALTHY EYES FEATURE: SPIRITUAL CAREGIVING & DEMENTIA CARE GIVING: CARE PARTner HEALTH TIPS RECIPE: SLOW COOKER CHICKEN & RICE