Dull. Repetitious. Tedious. Boring. Do you feel like yawning? I lay my head back and close my eyes when I hear the words. Or, I jump up and find something to do. Boredom, especially if it lasts for more than a few hours, causes me to slide into a dull stupor. My thinking goes on […]

“Can I help you?”“How can I help you?”“Let me do that for you.” These well-meaning words can be exactly what’s needed in the situation, or they can be the first, crippling step toward helplessness. “The three plagues of loneliness, helplessness and boredom account for the bulk of suffering among our elders.” 1The elderly deal with

Loneliness, helplessness and boredom. If you’ve spent any time around those who espouse the Eden Alternative, the words roll off your tongue. The first principle states: “The three plagues of loneliness, helplessness and boredom account for the bulk of suffering among our elders.” 1 Loneliness doesn’t need definition. We’ve all felt it. It’s not necessarily

“This is what makes us different.” The wife of one of the residents stood by my desk with a glowing face. “You’re not perfect. Nobody’s perfect. But this…” she waved her hand, “this is wonderful. Special. This is what makes us different.” She was referring to the many staff in all departments who dressed in

They can’t learn anything new. When I started working with frail elderly people almost 18 years ago, this was the first and most absolute lesson taught to me about people with dementia. Don’t try to introduce any new information. It will only frustrate. This is why, when I first learned about the domain of growth,

When I hear the question, “What is the meaning of life?” I think of someone climbing a mountain, asking a sage for the answer. After the wisdom is given, the person climbs down, ponders, and goes forth to live their life as a better person. Right? There aren’t any mountains where I live, and sages

Imagine George. He moved to senior’s facility with his wife several years ago, and they enjoyed their lovely apartment, the many activities and their friends among the community. It was a good life. Then Betty died. George felt like his right arm and half his brain was missing. And all of his heart. His family

It was a desperate time. My husband was in the cardiac intensive care unit of a Toronto hospital, fighting for his life. His heart was large and floppy and not doing what hearts should do. He was on the list for a heart transplant, and various methods were being used to get him through each

Have you ever gone somewhere where you didn’t know a single person? For an introvert like myself, that’s a stretching experience that leaves me feeling exhausted. My first writer’s conference, I flew into a huge city alone, and found my way to the shuttle bus at the airport. The hotel was overpowering, with moving sidewalks

I first went to camp when I was 12, and it changed me. I discovered this suburban girl had a country heart, and was totally at home in the woods, by the lake and near a campfire. I lived in a cabin with seven other girls, and they became my best friends and confidants over