Singer Peggy Rose Lives with Memory Loss

For most of her lifetime, Ms. Peggy Rose of Ashland Oregon has performed Jazz throughout the west and the mid-west. She is also living with memory loss. Although this can be frustrating sometimes, she does not consider her dementia to be a struggle but chooses to simply accept this as the way things are. "When I get up in the morning and get out of bed, I am just so glad to be alive and I just work with it," she says.

She is not alone.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, millions of Americans have a form of dementia, including Alzheimer's. Dementia is an umbrella term which covers many symptoms including loss of memory, disorientation, difficulty learning and it causes a gradual loss of brain cells.

Along with her partner and fellow musician, Ron Robertson, Peggy moved to Ashland from Phoenix, Arizona a year ago, partly because one of their sons lives here. After years of traveling from city-to-city, performing music together, they feel like they have found a home here. "I like the feeling in Ashland. Music and the Arts are valued and there is an air of kindness here that I enjoy."

Several years ago, the pair produced a musical CD together called "Ms. Peggy Rose and the Unlimited Trio". Her lyrical voice and the upbeat music reflect her life well. When asked how losing memory has changed her life she said, "If you live in the now, then there isn't room for all of the contemplating of the disease. You just do the best you can."

Now in her late seventies, she says the disease has taught her "how wonderful people are when you give them a chance to be wonderful. When I forget something, people are kind. They tell me not to worry and that I am doing just fine." Some of that should be credited to her own good nature. She does not dwell on the negative and says that she does not have any time to waste on depression. Her ability to accept what is happening and her commitment to living her life to the fullest seems unlimited.

As a performer, Peggy learned to draw people in and this is another theme in her life so far. Her engaging personality keeps her busy. She and Ron are regulars at the Ashland Senior Center and to the delight of others, she often sings there.

Like many women living with memory loss, she relies on her partner to sometimes fill in the blanks for her. This is one of the ways that their relationship has changed and their roles have shifted. As her disease has progressed she has made other adjustments from writing things down more often, to giving up driving, but she has taken charge and made her own decisions. That's not to say that it is always easy. She does miss driving and having the freedom to get around by herself, but she is still active and does not let that stop her either. Although there is no cure for Alzheimer's or memory loss, experts agree that staying active and keeping the mind stimulated will help keep the mind healthy. Peggy continues to write poetry and songs and her creativity helps keep her centered.

Peggy hopes that others will not be afraid to seek help if they need it. "The disease is a disease. You must look at it as openly as you can with an open mind and an open heart and listen to what will help you personally." She and Ron have been attending a seminar on early memory loss at Trinity Respite Center in Ashland. " The people there are wonderful. I think so highly of them," she says.

And always there is her sense of humor.

"I haven't forgotten any of my lyrics yet."