Supporting all who care for elders
After my husband died, my friends would often take me shopping with them. I’ve always hated shopping, but I needed companionship so I’d follow them around the stores like a lost puppy. On one of these excursions to a craft store, my friend went in search of what she needed and I wandered the aisles
“Not in Kansas Any More!” How to Find Your Way In A Move to Long-Term-Care Read More »
I love babies. I have a new granddaughter, and watching her grow is a delight. When she was just a week old, she melted into my shoulder, and I revelled in the feel and smell of her. Now she is two months old and smiling and it’s a whole new kind of wonderful. (p.s. I
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Troy and his dad enjoyed many activities together. Walking in the garden, watching fishing shows, looking at old photo albums and reminiscing. But Dad’s favourite was when they did puzzles together. Even with dementia, Dad enjoyed complex puzzles with 1,000 pieces. He’d done them all his life, and each time he found a piece that
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The visit had been a disaster. Grace had brought her grandchildren to see her mother after she moved to long-term-care. They were excited, and raced in the room calling, “Hi, Grandma! Remember me?” It was obvious that she didn’t. She looked confused and then covered her ears at their eager voices.
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This is the third in a series about a man who didn’t prepare with his father for his caregiving journey, and how he navigated it. Read the first blog here: https://smallmiracles.online/how-to-ask-the-right-questions-before-becoming-a-caregiver/ and the second blog here: https://smallmiracles.online/a-caregivers-journey-finding-a-way-when-you-dont-make-a-plan/ Eric and his dad developed a routine when he returned from rehab. Because Dad came home to familiar territory, his
How to Find Your Way When It’s Time to Move to Long-Term-Care Read More »
From last week: Eric’s caregiver journey began when his elderly father, who lived alone, fell and broke a hip and wrist. The doctor tells Eric he thinks his dad may suffer from mild dementia and suggests he gets tested. Read last week’s blog here: https://smallmiracles.online/how-to-ask-the-right-questions-before-becoming-a-caregiver/ After meeting with the
A Caregiver’s Journey: Finding a Way When You Don’t Make a Plan Read More »
Eric thought he cared for his elderly Dad. Since Eric’s mother had died, he visited once a week, got him groceries, made sure his prescriptions were refilled and took him for appointments. Once in a while, they’d go to a sporting event together. If you asked him how his dad was
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Libby had taught the junior grades for 30 years, and she’d loved it. Certainly, she saw problems today which had been unknown when her career began, but she’s done her research and had learned new approaches. Kids were kids, after all, and they needed encouragement and for someone to believe in them. And
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Walter looked out the window but he didn’t notice the lush green of the garden. It had rained for three days straight, sometimes with thunderstorms, and the grey skies suited his mood. The weather had kept him inside and he couldn’t think of a thing he wanted to do. The book he had started a
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Unlike most of the female population, I hate shopping. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say I hate going into stores, because Amazon and I have an “up close and personal” relationship. But there is one store that will get me out of the house in a minute–my local garden centre. As
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“Each person with dementia is a person first. They are the person they were, the person they are and the person they are becoming. They may lose abilities with the disease, but they retain their personhood. This must be at the centre of our understanding, and the foremost thought in every interaction.” Ann Peachman Stewart
How to Celebrate the Personhood of the Person with Dementia Read More »