Supporting all who care for elders
We sat on our swing on the deck. At mid-afternoon it looked like dusk. Our solar lights sprung to life and an eerie stillness descended. We wore our special glasses and watched with awe as the eclipse of 2024 slipped across the sky. As awed as I was by the whole event, something else struck […]
How Loneliness and Isolation Are Toxic for Elders Read More »
I felt like a bug on the wall, hearing a private conversation which took me into the hearts and mind of people struggling with dementia. It wasn’t private, but a podcast featuring several people sharing. One elderly British lady stole my heart as she explained how she took her caring children aside. “Please don’t help
How to Train Your Mind to Handle Chronic Pain Read More »
We’re working on a project. It’s a secret at the moment, but I can’t remember when I’ve had so much fun. It involves a bucketload of creativity, the gifts of both my husband and myself, and some reaching outside several boxes to figure things out. Ideas for it wake me at night and encroach on
Finding Ways to Create with Joy with Your Elder Read More »
“What happens in knitting group stays in knitting group.” Seriously? What crimes could possibly be committed in knitting group? Perhaps not crimes, but lots of interesting stories and long held secrets emerged while needles clacked. What? I can’t tell, because, what happens in knitting group… Last week we looked at the benefits of creativity for
Finding Creativity for Your Elder in Unexpected Places Read More »
Barbara had a bad attitude her entire life, and it didn’t improve when she struggled with dementia. Snarky, sometimes mean, but also needy and wanting all the attention all the time, she’d always looked after herself. Now she couldn’t, and she wasn’t gracious about it. Even her dementia didn’t stop her from making snide remarks
How Creativity Opens New Worlds for Elders with Dementia Read More »
It’s almost here, and I’d better share quickly so you can use these ideas for the big event. Or pass them on. Or maybe next year. On the Ninth Day of Christmas, Dementia Gave to Me…Christmas Cards I can’t remember the last time I sent physical Christmas cards. Many years ago, I switched to a
On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, Dementia Gave to Me… Read More »
They had planned well for Annie’s 100th birthday. Her sister and nieces had flown in from the other end of the country. The table looked festive with balloons and a table centre resembling fireworks. They’d ordered a chocolate cake (her favourite) big enough to feed the entire dining room. Everyone was poised to sing. They
On the Fifth Day of Christmas, Dementia Gave to Me… Read More »
The whole song leaves me wondering. Partridges are small for eating, pear trees are dormant in winter and as for the leaping lords and milking maids…forget it. (The five golden rings have possibilities, but I got a golden engagement ring in March and a golden wedding band in September, so I’m good for rings as
On the First Day of Christmas, Dementia Gave To Me… Read More »
We’ve all done it. You’re calling one of your kids, and you run through the roll call of names, including the family dog. This is not that. This is when you sit beside your mother who walks with dementia, at a family event, give her a kiss and say, “Hi, Mom. How are you doing?”
How to Cope When Your Elder Forgets Your Name Read More »
Something about this quiet, gentle man intrigued me. I saw unconventional in his grey pony tail, I saw intelligence in his perceptive questions, but my overwhelming impression was a penetrating sadness. His wife of many years had moved to our floor because her dementia meant it wasn’t safe for her to live alone with him.
Dementia Has a Name, But It’s Not Your Elder’s. Read More »