Alzheimer's Voices

Frances Kakugawa on Life After Caregiving and the Power of Poetry

Voices of Alzheimer's

In this episode of Alzheimer's Voices, Frances Kakugawa speaks about life after caregiving, detailing her relationship with her mother as she progressed through different stages of neurodegenerative change. As an author, Frances discovered how poetry could benefit both their lives during this difficult process. She now leads poetry support groups, teaching care partners to release their stress and emotions through writing. Her story reveals the power of language to reach people during challenging times and channel their emotions into art. 

For more of Frances’s work on caregiving and Alzheimer’s, explore her books I Am Somebody: Bringing Dignity and Compassion to Alzheimer’s Caregiving and the children’s book Wordsworth Dances the Waltz.