Healing and Alzheimer’s: A Study That Changed What I Thought Was Possible

After many months of careful preparation, observation, and reflection, I am quietly sharing that my new book, Healing and Alzheimer’s: A Care Home Study Exploring Well-being, Comfort and Connection in Dementia, is now published.

This work grew from a voluntary study carried out in a residential care home, where my colleague and I explored whether gentle healing approaches might ease distress and support comfort for people living with later-stage and advanced dementia.

We did not set out expecting dramatic change.

We simply wanted to observe carefully and record what happened.

Yet what we witnessed, at times, genuinely surprised me.

There were moments of calm where agitation had been present.

Moments of relaxation where tension had been constant.

And, occasionally, moments of connection and emotional response in residents who had long been considered beyond communication.

It is an honest account of what was observed, and what those observations may quietly teach us about caring well.

I found myself asking questions I had not expected to ask.

What is actually happening in Alzheimer’s disease?

Why do some responses remain when memory and language seem to fade?

What allows connection to occur, even in advanced stages of illness?

And what might this tell us about awareness, presence, and the nature of human connection itself?

The book documents the study and its findings in clear, accessible language.

But it also marks the beginning of a deeper exploration.

Over the coming months, I will be publishing a series of articles prompted by this work. Each will reflect on the questions that arose from the study and the conversations that followed.

These will include:

• what may be happening biologically in Alzheimer’s disease

• how communication and connection can still occur in later stages

• practical ways families and carers can strengthen comfort and engagement

• and, for those who are interested, reflections on the spiritual and consciousness aspects of illness, awareness, and connection

This is not about offering certainty or claiming answers.

It is about continuing to explore with curiosity, respect, and humility what we are still learning about the human experience of dementia.

If you are a family member, carer, practitioner, or simply someone interested in understanding Alzheimer’s more deeply, I hope these reflections to come will offer reassurance, insight, and perhaps a few new ways of seeing.

The book is now available as an eBook, with the paperback edition to follow shortly.

Thank you to everyone who supported this work and allowed these observations to be gathered with care and dignity.