Jean Riva
Jean's main passion in the writing world centers around educating the general population about stroke related language disorders, caregiver issues, widowhood and growing older---often using humor to do so.
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- Fans
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- Contributor since
- 12/23/2006
Education/Experience
BA - Grand Valley State University
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Displaying Results 1 - 37 (of 37) for All Content
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Disaboom: A Web Company Making a Real Difference to People Touched by DisabilitiesThe first of the 78.2 million Baby Boomers turns sixty-two years old this year. With the Boomers that follow coming to an age where many of them will develop health issues or disabilities, an exciting new Internet company to watch grow and thrive will be Disaboom.
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Money Saving Skin Care and Makeup Tips for Old LadiesA creative look at aging issues for over-the-hill women every where. Closely guarded secrets on how to look 20 years younger are revealed in this article. -
Hot Fashions in Walking Canes: Exotic to PracticalWith a click of your mouse you can find an exact replica of the walking cane used by Dr Gregory House from the Emmy award winning TV show, House MD, and thousands of other hot looking walking canes. Would you like a cane that is elegant, exotic, sports themed or...
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Caregiver Stress: Straight Talk for New CaregiversFifty million Americans care for a loved one who is disabled, chronically ill or fragile from old age. That adds up to a lot of potential for caregiver stress. The family member who inherits the job after an accident or unforeseen health crisis faces overwhelming pressure.
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National Condom Week: The Week of Valentine's DayFebruary 10th through the 16th, is National Condom Week. Are you ready for it? Did you buy your supply of condoms for the big romantic interlude you may---or may not---have on Valentine's Day? If not, the ASHA wants to take this week to remind you.....
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What It's like to Win One of the People's Media Awards at Associated ContentI am incredibly proud of winning one of the AC People's Media Awards for 2007 for my content: How My Husband's Stroke Changed My Life. When the e-mail came notifying me of this honor I thought it was a practical joke or a phishing.... -
How to Create a Family Caregiver's Home Health Emergency Care PlanWhen a family caregiver gets sick it can put their care recipient in peril if an Emergency Care Plan is not already set in place. Unfortunately, most people don't have a written plan and that is a potentially life-threatening mistake. Learn how... -
Find Quality Online Stroke Support at the American Heart Association's Message BoardThe best kept secret of the American Heart Association website is their 'Stroke Survivors and Family Caregivers' Discussion Community. Unlike some of the other online stroke support message boards, the AHA stroke message board is ..... -
Justifying PlagiarismSome people say we shouldn't care if others make a practice of plagiarism if the person doing it isn't making money off the plagiarized material. Is it true? Should we turn a blind eye when.... -
Ten Great Products and Gadgets for Senior CitizensEach age bracket we pass through brings a new set of products and gadgets that are age-appropriate. For senior citizens, age-appropriate gadgets and products are usually designed to make their lives easier and safer. The ten products and gadgets in this article are..... -
Envy, Anger and Slothfulness---Are We Talking About Anyone You Know?When Dante classified the Seven Deadly Sins he placed Envy, Anger and Slothfulness as number 2, 3 and 4 directly beneath Pride. Dragging up the rear are Greed in fifth place, Gluttony in sixth and Lust at the very bottom. This final installment takes a humorous look at... -
Wheelchair Accessibility Guide to the Restaurants in Historic Downtown Rockford, MichiganHistoric downtown Rockford is a popular destination point for Michigan tourists. But in a wheelchair quaint towns like Rockford can be a challenge if you don't know where to find the restaurants and restrooms that are wheelchair friendly. This guide can help with that. -
Impress Your Dinner Partner with a Brief Introduction to Oriental SymbolismSymbolism in Asian countries has a long history and that symbolism that has become a common theme in oriental restaurant de`cor in the USA. The next time you're sitting in an oriental restaurant and the conversation is lagging, this artice can help you.... -
Ten Tips for Caregivers to Stroke SurvivorsIf your loved one just had a stroke, you (or a relative) will face the scary prospect of starting your on-the-job training as a new caregiver when he or she comes home from the hospital or stroke rehab center. It will be a long road filled with.... -
My Biggest SecretWhen you spend your grade school years being labeled with words like 'stupid,' 'retard' and 'dumb' you carry those labels inside and let it warp your soul for decades to come. It doesn't matter that as an adult you.... -
The Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner is Finally Out on DVDThe anxiously awaited, extended and uncensored version of Comedy Central's Roast of William Shatner comes with mixed reviews. However.... -
Recommended Fishing Events for Disabled Anglers and Resources for Adaptive Fishing EquipmentTwo great organizations are working hard to re-introduce fishing back into the lives of disabled people and to teach fishing to physically challenged individuals who never tried the sport before. Check out these resources. They will lead you to a whole new world...... -
How to Be a Good Friend to Someone with AphasiaNot being able to communicate in the normal way brings on a devastating sense of isolation for people with aphasia and it often causes severe depression. Learning the basic tips in this article can prevent you from unknowingly adding to a friend's loneliness and dejection. -
He's in the Dog House Now!The atmosphere here on the Planet Aphasia is warping my waffles. Don't ask me what that means. If your waffles are warped, too, you'll understand. If not, trust me when I say that it's not a good thing here in the city of Caregiverville.
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How My Husband's Stroke Changed My LifeMy husband had a massive stroke that left him right side paralyzed and with no verbal or written ability to communicate. An event we thought could never happen to us did happen. It destroyed our previously comfortable and often complacent lives...
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Pride, the Sin, Not the Gay ParadeA tongue-in-cheek look at one of the Seven Deadly Sins through the eyes of a slightly irreverent---and some might say, demented---senior citizen.
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The Stroke Network: The Largest On-Line Support Community for Stroke Survivors and Their FamiliesThis article reviews the largest and busiest on-line stroke support website on the internet. Its founder and hands-on CEO is a quadriplegic with a severe speech disorder who types with a head pointer, an on-screen keyboard and "word prediction." -
Alternate Uses for Baby Gates or How Not to Help an Old Lady in a Parking LotA humorous look at one of the ways grown-up guys like to pretend they're still in the Boy Scouts and how this author would like to teach them the right way to help when assisting an old lady load a wheelchair into a Blazer.
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A New Look at an Old Movie: A River Runs Through ItThis period film starring Brad Pitt has been characterized as a drama, coming of age story, biography and more but never a spiritual experience. This article draws attention to a side of the film that can warm your soul and grow your spirit...
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Fess Up: Anyone for Gluttony or Greed?A tongue-in-cheek look at two of the Seven Deadly Sins through the eyes of a slightly irreverent senior citizen.
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Lust: One of the Seven Deadly SinsA humorous look at one of the Seven Deadly Sins, lust, through the eyes of a senior citizen.
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MacArthur Park: Lamenting the Loss of LanguagePuzzling out the mysteries of MacArthur Park was actually good training for living with my husband's language disorders, aphasic and apraxia. If I hadn't pondered the cake in the rain every time I've heard that song played, would I....
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The FallI heard a body hitting the floor and from the kitchen I took off towards the bedroom in an old lady version of a triathlon competitor-stiff-knees, making my gait bob from side to side as a speed walked then hopped over the dog and came to a sliding stop with my socks.
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Today's Word is 'Aphasia'According to the National Aphasia Association, an estimated one million people in the United States have acquired aphasia, or about one in every two-hundred and fifty people. With that many individuals affected by this devastating language disorder wouldn't you think....
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Table TalkThere's a line in a 1960s movie that is engraved somewhere in the space between my ears. In 'Two for the Road'---while eating a meal on the French Rivera---Audrey Hepburn asks Albert Finney: "What kinds of people sit at a table and don't talk to each other?"
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Universal Design: Building a Wheelchair Accessible HomeFor most of our adult lives my husband and I had wanted to build a house. It took his stroke for us to finally take the plunge. We really had no choice....
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My 'When Harry Met Sally' StoryIt's weird how your memory can play tricks on you. Before I cracked open my old diaries today I had already written the story of how Don and I met. I couldn't believe how far off from the truth that first draft was. I had to scrap it and start all over.
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The Taming of the ShrewThis article is another in a series of articles that takes a humorous look at the life of a couple dealing with the aftermath of a severe stroke and its resulting language disorder and paralysis.
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Bobsledding the StaircaseHow many ways are there to get a wheelchair bound husband off from an upper floor of a burning building? This article gives a tongue-in-cheek look at one caregiver/spouse's solution plus....
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Go to Weight Watchers or Become an Artist's Model?I'll be the first to admit it. Overweight old people don't look good naked. We've got bulges and things that look better draped in tee-shirts and sweat pants. It's not just the extra pounds but.....
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The Shower Stall MysteryThen it started---those sound effects, the kind like Meg Ryan made in her famous movie scene where she's faking an orgasm in the restaurant. The first time I heard the moaning and groaning I thought....
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The Ambassador from the Planet AphasiaToday was get-out-of-the-house day. We've been snow bound. Oh, not really but it makes a better story than saying we had no place to go since Friday. Today was different. We had a mission.