I recently came across a study that provides one of those sparks of joy and reason to celebrate while caregiving.
Tag: loved one
Happy. Happy? Holidays
According to the Hallmark and Norman Rockwell, the holiday season is a wonderful time filled with family, fun, and food. The reality is often quite different for those facing the challenges of caring for someone with dementia. Especially with the added burden of shopping, preparing, and all the extras that can go along with the…
What a doll – Wait, is it Real?
I couldn’t believe my eyes. While I was at the care-home where my Mama lives, I noticed one of the residents in the hallway holding a tiny baby. What were they thinking? I quickly looked around for the baby’s mother. No one seemed to be paying any attention to her. Taking a closer look at…
Keep Smell’n Them Flowers
His first rule of thumb: Be scent-conscious in your day-to-day life. “If you’re drinking a cup of coffee or tea, actually smell it before you drink it, and when eating food, smell it first,” he says. “If you do this on a regular basis, you will increase your sense of smell.”
Laughter Really is the Best Medicine
The onset of dementia brought about a surprising change in Mama. She developed a love for slapstick comedy. My genteel Mama who had always loved Broadway shows and Classical music suddenly enjoyed watching someone get a pie in the face. Of course, the masters of slapstick themselves, the “Three Stooges” zoomed to the top of our movie stack.
Only the Lonely
Perhaps what is needed is a bit of coaching ahead of time to help folks know all that’s really needed is a smile, a touch, and a kind voice.
Managing Medications
Does your loved one take medications? A lot of them? This post just might help make it a bit more manageable In my research for ‘all things dementia’, I came across an article by the Alzheimer’s Society , “Taking medications with dementia“, it offers tips about taking medications safely, practical tips to help you to…
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…