One of the great frustrations that my old friend Coach J. W. Ingram faces everyday of his life is living in a facility that includes many folks who suffer from Alzheimer's and dementia.

"I have to introduce myself to them every day," says the spirited senior citizen. "The good news is I only need to know one joke."

It's just difficult to be of sound mind and heart when most of those around you are not. The good news is we're living longer; the bad news is we're living longer. Such is life.

Coach calls me several times a week just to chat. Recently, he called and was all excited about having a new girl friend. She's a sprite 72 years of age; I reminded him that he was "robbing the cradle." Coach just passed 93.

He was more excited than I think he's ever been since moving to the assisted living facility. "She's a bit young for you, isn't she coach?" I queried. "And what's a 72 year old chick doing in an old folk's home?" I asked. "They kicked her out of the hospital, and she's here temporarily until she rehabilitates a hip." Sadly, this is another by-product of the times in which we live.

Turns out that Coach's new sweet thing is a former high school basketball coach who is of sound mind, though parts of her body still need some rehab work. "It's such a pleasure to have conversations with her," explains Ingram. "It's such a pleasure to have conversations with anyone in here."

"What do you talk about?" I asked. "Mainly sports," he quickly responds. I suspect the conversation has more X's and O's in it than one would care to know, but isn't it terrific that older folks can find such small pleasures in life?

With Easter coming, it occurs to me that an advantage that many patients in nursing homes have is the ability to hide their own eggs. Finding Easter Eggs at Easter is a good idea. Finding Easter Eggs at Christmas- bad idea!

As a service to my community here in St. Cloud, Florida, I speak from time to time at local facilities. I never have to change the jokes or the speech, so it's an easy gig. Either the people I talked to last month have gone on to their greater reward or they don't know I was just there the previous month. Every now and then I bump into a Coach Ingram type who complains, "You just told that same dumb joke last month… get some new material."

The real heroes and sheroes of the elderly world are those people who take care of Alzheimer's patients. There is a place reserved in heaven for these wonderful people, be they parents, spouses, siblings, children, grandchildren or workers in a facility. It's a 24/7 gig that demands of you qualifications closely akin to those of sainthood. That's why I donate my time and effort in such facilities-- to reach out to not only the residents, but to the caregivers.

I use lots of humor with these folks. Humor doesn't take away their condition, but it provides some relief for all involved, especially the saintly caregiver. The patients don't always get the humor, but if I make eye contact with them and hold on with a smile, eventually they will smile back. That's better than any standing ovation I've ever gotten in my life.

When dealing with folks who suffer from dementia or Alzheimer's, you must remember six things: (1) Don't reason, (2) Don't argue, (3) Don't confront, (4) Don't remind them they forget, (5) Don't question recent memory, and (6) Don't take it personally.

The most painful thing in life is to watch the mind of a loved one fade away. To help them, I use a little humor. I'll be doing an Easter presentation here in St. Cloud, FL. Below is a bit of my Easter humor:

The nice thing about being an Alzheimer's patient is you can plan your own surprise party.

Q. What do Easter Bunny helpers get for making a basket?
A. Two points… just like anyone else.

Q. Why did the Easter Bunny hide his eggs?
A. He doesn't want the other bunnies to know that he was fooling around with the chickens.

Q: Why was the rabbit rubbing his head?
A: Because he had an eggache! (headache)

Q: What did the rabbit say to the carrot?
A: It's been nice gnawing at you.

Q: How do bunnies stay healthy?
A: Eggercise

Q: What does a rooster say to a hen he likes?
A: Your one hot chick!

And my personal favorite…

Q: Why did the rabbit cross the road?
A: Because it was the chicken's day off.

Happy Easter!