Supporting all who care for elders
I wandered from room to room this morning, looking for an unused over-the-bed table for a resident moving in next week. In one of the rooms, I stopped, sat on the bed and let the experience wash over me. On the bureau sat a vase of grocery store flowers. Nothing spectacular about that. Propped against it sat a […]
“The doctor diagnosed my mom’s dementia. I don’t know what form of the disease she has, but they seem the same to me. He put her on some medication he said might help.” Statements like this make me shudder. Would we say this about any other disease? “The doctor said my mom has cancer. The
Diagnosing Dementia Read More »
Picture an umbrella. It’s black and appears that it could provide shelter to a small village. This umbrella is called dementia. If you hear that someone has cancer, one of your first questions is going to be, “What kind?” We understand that there is a myriad of different kinds of cancer, and each one affects the
Under the Umbrella Read More »
The first care conference is often long. Held a few weeks after a resident moves into care, it’s the family’s chance to meet with the doctor, nurse, physiotherapist, chaplain, dietary department and advocate. Through questions and discussion, the team gets to know the resident better, and a plan of care is worked out. It’s fluid,
I Am Not My Disease Read More »
Maybe where you live, the weather outside isn’t frightful, but the calendar is moving forward. Hallowe’en and Remembrance Day are behind us, and our neighbours to the south are celebrating Thanksgiving next week. Black Friday, Cyber Monday–however you look at it, Christmas is coming. If you are caring for someone with dementia, Christmas takes a
How To Have Christmas, Dementia and Joy Read More »
She was a sweet lady, and not that old. Her dementia was vascular, and the changes in her in the last year had been profound. She’d come to live with her son and his wife because she could no longer cope on her own. In our little townhouse complex, I lived on one side of
Here’s How to Blow it When Talking with Dementia Read More »
I’m not good at the dripping tap. Have you ever been cosied into your couch with a riveting book, until your attention is drawn to the kitchen? Drip. Drip. Drip. You’re already disturbed, so you get up to turn the darn thing off. You just get back to the couch when you hear Drip. Drip.
There’s a rhythm to the day in my neighbourhood. Today, I was in at 6:30 to make a special breakfast. Even though my body isn’t a big fan of getting up at 4:00 a.m., there’s something magical about the hush of the dining room when the only sound is one care partner making breakfast. I
Sundowning–Why Life Gets Crazy in the Afternoon Read More »
The middle-aged man walks onto the stage and pulls out a chair. The audience watches in silence as he drags the chair to the back of the stage, positions it in the corner and sits on it. His back facing the audience, he begins. “My name is Brian. I have Alzheimer’s, but it doesn’t have
“I Have Alzheimer’s But It Doesn’t Have Me.” Read More »
“What we had as a couple is gone. Now it’s all about coping with him and the way he acts. I still love him, but I miss normal.” I hear variations of this so often. “My mother is gone.” “I don’t recognize my brother.” “This isn’t the father I knew.” “I wish…I wish…I wish…” There’s
How to Find Normal When Normal Seems Hopeless Read More »