“Monarch butterflies will not attempt to fly in the rain because the raindrops will damage their wings. They will rest and wait it out. It’s self-preservation. It’s okay to rest during the storms in your life. Take all the time you need. You will fly again once the storm passes.” Sharyn March, Poet, Leave Her Wild. What an amazing … [Read more...]
“If at some point you don’t ask yourself, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’ then you’re not doing it right.” Roland Gau
THIS is the question caregivers ask themselves all the time. Nothing, and I mean nothing, prepares you for being a caregiver to aging parents or a spouse. You would think parenthood would prepare you. After all, children challenge you with their independence needs, but they don’t have years of living an independent life. Your elder or spouse has a history as a functioning … [Read more...]
“Perfection and dementia cannot co-exist. Dementia offers do overs.” Tracy Cram Perkins, Author
This quote from Tracy Cram Perkins* is one of my favorites from my book, A Relationship Contract for Dementia Caregivers for several reasons. Certainly, one of them is that the person with a memory impairment who has short-term memory loss won’t remember when you told them no. But if “no” is said when our behavior shows our anger and frustration, that is a problem. As I write … [Read more...]
Caregivers deserve their own care plan.
Have you created yours? When you truly understand that you are the most important person in this caregiving scenario, then creating a care plan for yourself is not a luxury, it is a necessity. It requires self-awareness, intentionality and the willingness to adapt it as you go along. The goal of your care plan is to write down what and WHO adds to your mental, physical and … [Read more...]
“You are the most important person in this caregiving scenario, not the person living with dementia.” Amy Matthews, Dementia Educator
The first in a series for dementia family caregivers. Amy Matthews is someone I deeply respect. She is the person I collaborate with on dementia articles for the website. She is the person I went to for guidance on my new book for dementia family caregivers. When I first heard her say, “You are the most important person in this caregiving scenario, not the person living with … [Read more...]