Many of my posts lately have been about mom and adjusting to living with her again while taking on the role of full time caregiver. I've shared how this is really hard, but I also need to remind myself and my readers, why I am willing to to this work. This is another of dads missive's from the "Letters To Our Daughter" series. It made me laugh and reminded me of how much I … [Read more...]
Puzzles can help an elder with increased dexterity, memory, socialization and meditation skills.
Which in turn helps the caregiver. Beverly Nance is a mom, caregiver to her autistic daughter, an entrepreneur and a born puzzler. She has been doing jigsaw puzzles since her 20’s and loves big puzzles of 1000 pieces. Frames come first and then the middle. With space dedicated to puzzles, she can come back and finish one the next day. For Beverly, it is a form of meditation … [Read more...]
Lessons From An 89-Year-Old – how to sit quietly and just think.
Lately, I’ve noticed mom just sitting for long periods of time. I may have to call her more than once to get her attention and it scares me. This learned behavior comes from the couple of times when her blood sugar had dropped dangerously low. When I do get her attention, she seems confused and my mind immediately goes to, “Is this the start of dementia?” Jumping to … [Read more...]
Letters To Our Daughter – More About Life With Mom
A couple of weeks ago, I shared parts of a letter my dad wrote to me when I was in college. In it, he told the story of mom breaking a jar of spaghetti sauce while in the grocery store. At first she walked away from it, but then she went back to pull the coupon off the jar. Why she did that will make sense when dad tells the story about "The Coupon Volley." Enjoy! … [Read more...]
Letters To Our Daughter – Family Stories Keep us connected.
Happy 4th of July weekend! Mom and I have been reminiscing and retelling family stories this weekend. My favorites come from the letters my dad sent to me my freshman year of college - 45 years ago- and still one of my most treasure possessions. … [Read more...]