Review by Mary Ann Grossmann, St. Paul Pioneer Press (4-22-2012)
Literary event of the week: JacLynn Herron
JacLynn Herron’s memoir “Singing Solo: In Search of a Voice for Mom” is a must-read for everyone who has a loved one in a nursing home or is preparing for this difficult stage in life.
She will talk about her book (North Star Press, $14.95) at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at Barnes & Noble, Har Mar Mall, 2100 N. Snelling Ave., Roseville.
Herron, who lives in New Brighton, writes with love about her parents, Warren and “Teen” Johnson, high school sweethearts who attended Hamline University. The thrust of her book is her grief, rage, bafflement and exhaustion as she navigates what she considers a broken elder-care system.
“Observing the current nursing home situation for people with dementia was like witnessing a tragedy in slow motion and being helpless to change the tide,” she writes.
When Warren Johnson’s physical health declined and Teen showed signs of memory loss, the couple moved into a wonderful assisted-living facility. But after Warren died and Teen’s memory deteriorated, she moved to a nursing home. By that time, she could not speak.
This facility had a good reputation, but Herron had to be constantly vigilant. For instance, Teen needed to be properly positioned in her special wheelchair, but many times Herron found her mother slumped over, her clothing twisted around her legs or straps from a lifting device still beneath her. Teen had all her teeth and loved to chew slowly, but busy aides sometimes took her food away before she was finished.
The reader’s heart aches for Herron when she writes: “Why was she here, I asked myself, if nurses had no time to attend to her simple needs? Mom was a human billboard that sent a dire message: Poor care! Poor care! And, if this obvious situation was overlooked by the nurse responsible for overseeing the work of the aides, what other not-so-obvious care concerns, I wondered, were being ignored?”
Herron tried to deal with the home’s administration without being confrontational. She worried that if she were labeled a troublemaker, her mother’s care might be worse. She attended numerous care conferences and discussions with middle managers who were trying to do their best in a corporate situation.
Sometimes things improved for Teen, but sometimes instructions on her chart were ignored. Weekends were especially bad, with minimal staff who were often inexperienced. When Teen’s ring was stolen right off her swollen finger, the home’s administration effectively buried Herron’s complaints.
Herron does write about “golden threads” in the nursing home, including aides who lovingly cared for her mother.
“Singing Solo” is a beautifully written cautionary tale that exposes problems many of us will face.
– Mary Ann Grossmann
Singing Solo: In Search of a Voice for Mom has received reviews on Amazon.com, here are a few:
Love in Action, December 13, 2011
I read the book with an open mind, comparing the story to many of my own experiences with working as care giver in nursing homes and in private homes. An extremely sad story but so very true. The little comfort a person can give can’t outweigh the neglect residents endure in institutions. My heart goes out to the author and her Mother.
Singing Solo, December 12, 2011
By Nancy Leasman
Whether planning for your own extended future or that of a loved one, you should know what the long term care experience might be. JacLynn Herron has written a sensitive, caring account of her mother’s diminishing capabilities in extended care facilities. While Herron lauds those who attentively cared for her mother as she suffered from the effects of dementia and a stroke, her frustration grew from the difficulties in dealing with the corporate world which administered those services when the care was less than expected.
Herron’s advocacy, and that of others who have seen firsthand the difficulties in extended care facilities, has raised awareness and standards of care. The only way to hold onto these improvements, as the largest number of people in the history of our country approach old age, is to be informed about aging issues. Groups like the Minnesota Culture Change Coalition with its mission of “Supporting dignity, respect, choice and self determination in long term care,” work to assure person-centered care of the elderly.
As a first step in learning more about long term care, read Herron’s book Singing Solo, In Search of a Voice for Mom, published by North Star Press of St. Cloud, Minnesota. Herron also recommends a visit to the Minnesota Department of Health’s website to learn more about specific long term care facilities.
This heart-rendering book will capture you and not let you put it down!, November 29, 2011
By Patricia Kelley
Words alone cannot express all the feelings I experienced while reading this highly personal journey. The other reviews that are shared on this page are so sensitive to JacLynn’s trials and tribulations. I don’t know that I would have been that patient or politically correct while knowing that so many infractions were happening. But we never know how we will react until we are in someone else’s shoes, for sure. Caring for an aging loved one on a long-term basis is an honor and a piece of our heart that we give away, only to be returned one thousand fold. Recommending this book to anyone is the easiest thing I’ve done in my life! Reward yourself by purchasing this book, and understand what a gift it truly is.
For Adult Children Everywhere, November 23, 2011
By Laura E Greenway
I lost my mother to complications from COPD this last July. It was heartbreaking. However, it was probably easier than dealing with a mother or older parent with any kind of dementia. This book is for anyone that has an older parent and may be dealing with the complications of heartache in dealing with the older parent, especially one dealing with any kind of mental illness. It is well written and thought provoking. Sad and poignant, but displays strength of spirit in dealing with the inevitable. I highly recommend this book.
BEAUTIFUL, BITTERSWEET JOURNEY OF LOVE, October 27, 2011
By A.J. Rutten (Minnesota USA) –
This memoir is a treasure.
JacLynn Herron allows the reader to join her on a deeply personal and important odyssey: her poignant struggle to ensure her beloved mother receives the best care as she grows older and more vulnerable. With tenacity and passion, JacLynn documents every feeling, every twist and turn, every crushing disappointment and each triumph, no matter how small, as her precious mother, Teen, disappears further into the appalling abyss of dementia.
The battle for “compassionate care” for her mother is exhausting. And JacLynn uncovers horrors in the nursing care system that serve to energize her unfailing determination.
This is a universal story as everyone has loved ones that will face this final journey. As will we all.
JacLynn illuminates a multitude of valuable and important lessons. She offers the gift of significant awareness.
Told with a powerful love and clarity that is magical, this precious and personal part of JacLynn’s soul should make the reader feel empowered, yet sweetly sad. I, for one, am grateful that she permitted me to accompany her on her compassionate, profound and important quest.
Eventually Jaclynn and Teen achieve sweet serenity. Much merited. My heart cried. In a cathartic way.
I recommend this journey unequivocally. And with much love.
Author JacLynn Herron gives a compelling account of her agonizing attempts to secure quality, compassionate care for her beloved mother, Teen Johnson, in a well-regarded nursing home. During several years of advocating for her mother, who could no longer move or speak for herself, JacLynn journaled her experiences and frustrations. Thus, after her mother’s death, the journals provided the author with the basis for a clear and honest voice in creating her memoir. Readers may be stunned by some of the book’s revelations but will also be touched by the enduring family love that surrounded Teen to the very end of her life. The theme of wanting the best for our loved ones can be universally felt in this beautifully written story.
JacLynn Herron 
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