Elva Mae
The following interview was conducted between Victoria and Paulette, Elva Mae’s daughter. Paulette is one of Elva Mae’s many caregivers. Elva Mae’s children along with her grandchildren and a professional caregiver all collectively tend to her needs and pitch in for her daily care.
VICTORIA: Tell us a little bit about Elva Mae.
PAULETTE: She was born in 1929 in Gonzales, Louisiana into a family of four sisters and five brothers. Two of her brothers and two of her sisters have passed. She had four children, three boys, and me, the only girl. She has been a great and loving mom. Still is. Everyone loves her. Very caring lady. She has outlived three husbands. Mom worked at Sears in the catalog department, and later as a sales associate. After that she worked for the vo-tech school in Gonzales as a secretary, and later a little for Ourso Funeral Home answering phones.
VICTORIA: When was she formally diagnosed?
PAULETTE: Mom was diagnosed about six years ago.
VICTORIA: What is her formal diagnosis?
PAULETTE: Parkinson’s disease and Parkinson’s related dementia.
VICTORIA: How long did she present with symptoms before she was diagnosed?
PAULETTE: I would say she showed signs such as forgetfulness and some confusion about a year or so before she was diagnosed.
VICTORIA: What has been the most difficult situation/ change to handle since diagnosis?
PAULETTE: Probably her confusion and the delusions she has from time to time that seems to go with her diagnosis. She is also really forgetful at times, more now then she was when all of this started.
VICTORIA: How old is Elva Mae at the time of this photoshoot?
PAULETTE: She was 92 when the pictures were taken.
VICTORIA: What is the significance of the clothing/props selected for these photographs?
PAULETTE: Well, the picture with the green beans was because she grew up snapping green beans as a child with her mom and siblings. They would pick them from the garden my Paw Paw grew. They would gather and snap peas and talk to each other in Cajun French. They were, and still are, an extremely close family. We chose for her to take this picture with the green beans because she has fond memories of doing that with them. The rosary photo has significance because she has always been a very devout Catholic and has a strong faith. To this day she says her rosary and takes communion which is brought to her by St. Mark Church in Gonzales.
VICTORIA: What are your thoughts on how she responded to the photoshoot?
PAULETTE: She was a little confused at first on why her picture was being taken, but was okay with it once we explained a little more about the project.
VICTORIA: What advice would you give to a family member at the beginning of their diagnosis journey with a loved one?
PAULETTE: What we learned is that we had to accept that her personality would change at times, however she is still the person she has always been. We have not lost her. It has also been hard to accept her forgetfulness and confusion, but we have learned to be patient because we understand this is something happening to her that is completely out of her control. She has always been incredibly strong and patient as a mother with us, now it is our turn to do so with her.
VICTORIA: In your opinion, what is your loved one's lasting legacy?
PAULETTE: Mom’s legacy is being loving, kind, thoughtful, loyal, and understanding to everyone she is around. We should all treat each others how she has treated people in her life.
