Many of us who have loved someone with dementia have experienced what I call "moments of clarity," during which the person who seems lost to dementia suddenly "comes back," if only for a few seconds. I experienced several of these episodes with my dad, who had dementia due to a failed brain surgery, and they remain some of my most precious memories.

Out of nowhere, Dad would look at me with the expression he had prior to his dementia - totally comprehending his surroundings. His eyes were clear and focused. Then he'd say something profound, such as the time he said to me, "My universe has gotten so small." These moments were just that - moments. As quickly as he'd come into clarity, he'd return to his state of dementia. There was no predicting these moments, and they didn't happen that often, but they are moments I'll keep with me forever, because just for a moment, I had my dad back.

An exceptional film, titled "Ten Glorious Seconds," opens today online. The theme is similar to my moments I experienced with my dad, except that this film involves a husband and wife.

Is this covered by Medicare?

Questions about Medicare coverage come my way daily. Generally, the question is about in-home agency care, assisted living or nursing home care. I can give people a general idea of what Medicare may or may not cover, but Medicare and/or Medicaid coverage depends on many variables, sometimes including which state you live in. Therefore, for information beyond the extremely general, I must direct people to the Medicare site.

I know. The thought of a government website can make chills run down the spine. Images of horrible navigation and confusing directions come to mind. However, the Medicare.gov site is truly helpful, and depending on what you need, reasonably user friendly.

Most of us live frantic lives. That's the nature of today's world. Add to that the job - for it is a job no matter how lovingly we do it - of caring for one or more elders, and it's no wonder that some of the AgingCare.com forum readers and contributors say they'd just like to chuck it all and run away.

Many of us fit into the sandwich generation where we are caring for children, as well as one or more elders. For several years running, I totaled seven elders, with five needy elders at once, plus two children in my care. Talk about a sandwich - mine was a whopper.

And yes, there were times when I wondered how I could keep it up. There were times when I would have loved to have run away, so I can relate to the people who write and say they are burned out, frustrated and would love to "run away from the whole thing."

People who have depression, dementia and other illnesses that affect the brain still suffer from social stigma. We, as a population, like to think that we are more enlightened than this, but most of us don't need to follow a study to see this stigma in action.

Insurance companies still treat mental illness separately from physical illness, even though many, if not most, mental illness has a physical component. Some policies still deny coverage for mental illness or provide less coverage.

In Social Stigma Still Evident for Alzheimer's, Dementia and Mental Illness, I wrote at length about the unfairness of this mindset. I do believe that society has made headway. Younger generations talk about depression and other mental illnesses more openly, and are more likely to seek counseling or medication. Still, a legitimate fear of discrimination underlies much of the talk.

Caregiving expert Carol Bradley Bursack, Author, speaker and columnist, presents a collection of articles, stories, news and research for you to browse. Please check the blog and Web site links for more information and feel free to email Carol at carol@mindingourelders.com to chat or ask questions. Minding Our Elders is a registered trademark.

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