Caregiving Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Finishing Well In Life

RanRandolph Medical Pharmacy in Charlotte, NC.

Feeling overwhelmed by loved one’s medication? There’s help

Posted on May 1, 2024June 22, 2026 by seniajean

While my Dad was still alive, he and my Mama lived in a cute little cottage in the country. Over time, my Dad developed Parkinson’s disease, and Mama was beginning to show increasing signs of dementia. Our family – my sister, husband, and I did as much as we could for them as they needed – without trying to take over and completely run their lives.
Along with cooking and cleaning, one of the biggest struggles they had was with their medication. They increasingly lost the answers to questions such as: When to take which medications, and how much? How often? When and where to get more?

Dementia’s Rules of Engagement 2.0

Posted on November 1, 2022December 27, 2022 by seniajean

How do you connect with someone who is losing their ability to communicate? If you want to make positive connections with your loved one, understand there are definite Rules of Engagement. It turns out there is a bit of a learning curve when engaging someone with dementia.
Keep in mind, non-verbal speech often speaks louder than spoken. Communication and connections made on an emotional level will remain throughout the dementia journey.

My Mama, Muriel Blankenship standing in front of her cedar tree.

The Journey of Helping a Loved One with Dementia …

Posted on May 1, 2022May 9, 2022 by seniajean

Finding Your Way
We had limited resources to help us when we first began our journey down the road of dementia with Mama. It was back in the early 2000s, and although the terms, dementia and Alzheimer’s were well known, the only books we could find at the time on the subject were medical journa

I found a big round of cheese at our local grocery store.

Who Moved My Dairy Products?

Posted on July 1, 2021July 26, 2021 by seniajean

I had the oddest experience one day. I’d popped into a grocery store to pick up a few items. On my list were cheese, milk, and a dozen eggs. Inside the store, I immediately headed over to the ‘dairy products’ section hoping to get my groceries and move on with my day as quickly as possible.

Steering the cart around the aisle to the side of the store where the dairy products were displayed, I suddenly stopped short. Instead of cheese and milk, the cold cases contained lunch meat, hot dogs, and a variety of deli items. What happened? Was I thinking of a different store? It had only been a short time since I had been there and remembered…well…I thought I’d remembered buying cheese from that very spot.

If possible, bring flowers instead of sending them.

Be the Valentine for your Loved-One with dementia

Posted on February 1, 2020February 5, 2020 by seniajean

Caring Makes a Difference
When a person has dementia, it means they are losing memories, not feelings. One of my favorite quotes from Maya Angelou is,
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Dementia’s Rules of Engagement

Posted on January 1, 2020October 16, 2022 by seniajean

The old question about trees falling in forests, and whether or not they make a sound may still be up for debate. But I do know that a person would have to connect the sound heard to the tree falling in order to understand what happened. I discovered that my Mama also benefited more from our time together when I followed a few simple rules of engagement.

Navigating the journey called dementia (Part 2)

Posted on August 1, 2019November 21, 2019 by seniajean

And…..we’re back. In Part One, our focus was on ‘Looking for Joy’ and ‘Celebrating victories’ – always remembering to smile big. In this next part, we will discuss a few strategies that can go with you further down the path and help in your quest to finish well.

Navigating the journey called dementia (Part 1)

Posted on July 3, 2019August 1, 2019 by seniajean

In our family we had a saying, “We’re doing the best we can, and so is Mama.”. It was something we repeated frequently to each other throughout my Mama’s journey through dementia. Mama’s care was a family affair. It took my husband, my sister and I all working together in order to navigate the shoals of this difficult journey called dementia.

Wayne is trying out some of the Twistables by Crayola.

Christmas gift ideas for loved-ones with dementia

Posted on December 1, 2018August 19, 2020 by seniajean

Once friends or loved-ones begin their journey down the path of dementia, gift giving becomes much more difficult. Previous interests change or fall away. Abilities diminish, concentration and focus shorten as senses dull. Warm socks, stretchy pants and button-up tops may make dressing easier, but finding something your loved one would enjoy can also make…

Caregivers make a difference. Friends make a difference for caregivers.

Resources, Applause, and Help for Caregivers

Posted on November 29, 2018March 10, 2025 by seniajean

As we move closer to the end of the year, take a moment to consider and celebrate the contribution of friends and family members who care for loved-ones – not by a pat on the back, but in concrete ways. Family Caregivers are certainly heroes, but not ‘Superhero’s (meaning they can go on endlessly and never tire).