LISTENING WITH MY EYES

Understanding non-verbal communication taught by a horse. Patricia Conoway has created a breakthrough guide to help caregivers connect with their loved ones suffering from Alzheimer s disease and related dementias. She takes us on her journey with her mother Kay who s in the late stages of Alzheimer s, dependent on others for her most basic needs, and no longer able to communicate verbally, when her horse, Dream enters Patricia s life. Dream had been severely abused by a previous owner, and where others would have given up, Patricia was determined to heal her. In this book, Patricia describes her dual struggles with her mother s steady decline and persistent issues with care facilities while she s going through the slow process of learning her horse s body language. Eventually Dream teaches Patricia communication by watching and listening with her senses, which she translates to non-verbal conversations with her mother. Patricia s straightforward account of her own frailties, doubts and eventual success should be recommended reading for anyone who struggles to relate to a person who has lost verbal communication.�_,