While feeding Mama her thickened juice today, I suddenly wanted to hear her voice. I wanted her to say something—anything. It has been several months since she has uttered a single word. I even tried to ask her some easy ‘yes’ questions to try to see if she would give me one of those automatic…
Author: seniajean
Jingles
“I am stuck on Band-Aid brand, cause band aid’s stuck on me.” “Oh, I’d love to be an Oscar Meyer wiener, that is what I’d truly like to be, cause if I were an Oscar Meyer wiener, everyone would be in love with me.” “In the valley of the jolly-ho, ho, ho. Green Giant”…
The way the ball bounces
Sitting on the floor playing ‘roll-the-ball’ with my little granddaughters, I realized the fun of playing with a ball is an activity that has really stood the test of time. When my Mama lived with us she was in around the mid to late stage of dementia. One day she and I were in the…
Happy Birthdays
Today, my Mama is 84 and 1/3. It got me thinking about birthdays and how many she has had. The carehome where she resides holds a birthday party each month for all of the residents who have had a birthday in that month. Everyone loves it. The festivity always includes music, cake, party hats and…
Are we there yet?
“Are we there yet?!” What parent hasn’t heard that question? For that matter, who hasn’t muttered it themselves when a project or task seems endlessly endless? Children usually can’t read maps and understand miles per hour, so the amount of time that trips and journeys take can seem like a mystery to them. As caregivers,…
Singing along
One of the most surprising discoveries we made in this adventure called “Caring for Mama”, was that the ability to sing does not decline at the same rate at other abilities – even talking. It could be, as my husband says that “Music does not reside in the brain, it lives in the soul.” That…
Sometimes, the journey is long….
Caring for you loved one can be a mix of joy, duty, exhaustion, determination, honor, love and tears. What is your story? Who are you caring for? What are some of your coping strategies? Who helps you? Why do you keep going? How do you find respite? Please share any ideas, tips, helps and wisdom…