Adapt2Alz.com
  • Home Blog
  • Calendar
  • "Adapting to Alzheimer's" Book
  • Serenity Visualizations CD
  • Contact Us
    • Shop
    • FREE GIFT

Lighten Your Load

7/1/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
No caretaker is likely to love your parent as much as you do.  In being an advocate for your parent, accept the responsibility of showing the nurses and other caretakers, through the way you lovingly care for your parent, that your mother is an important person who is loved and valued for who she is.  By your demonstrations of devotion, you are encouraging them to view your mother as an individual; by making a connection with them at a heart level, you can inspire them to want to take excellent care of your loved one.

Once you have made a true connection with each of her caretakers, it allows you to take time for yourself away from your mother, knowing she is in good hands and that the best care possible is being given.  In this way you have expanded the people who are interested in her well-being, effectively multiplying the number of people who want to make her life as pleasant as possible.  This is a wonderful way to lighten the load you carry.

Look for other ways to delegate.  Perhaps there is a child or grandchild who can visit regularly, or members of her church or former clubs.  Enlist her friends to visit.  If she is living in a place which offers group activities, read over the calendar with her to decide which events she would like to attend and be sure she gets signed up so the staff knows to include her.

If she is living with you and is highly functional, look into classes she might enjoy attending at your local Senior Center. BALLROOM DANCING has been shown to be particularly effective in retaining brain function (New England Journal of Medicine). When she needs more supervision, look into the possibility of an Adult Day Care Center, which gives you several hours at a time when she can be safely entertained by others. She gets the opportunity to make new friends, to socialize, to be involved in light exercise and art or craft projects while you can use the time as a welcome break. Remember that it is simply human nature that the more appreciative you are of the staff, the more likely they will be to be attentive and appreciative of you and your parent.

Try to keep in mind that all of the responsibility need not weigh on your shoulders alone. Find ways to involve others in your parent’s care and reap the benefits. It can give your loved one a variety of mental stimulation, allow others the opportunity to enjoy interaction with your parent and effectively lighten your load.


0 Comments

    Categories

    All
    Alzheimer's Disease
    Bereavement Poems
    Gratitude Advantage
    How To Be Happy
    Lighten Your Load
    Memorial Service

    Archives

    December 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013

    RSS Feed

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.