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| My brother-in-law with my father-in-law, who is nearing 90. Family members make sure he has frequent meals out with us. |
Lea: (I've learned) that in order to be a good caregiver one must take care of herself or himself, with adequate rest, good nutrition and time for themselves.
Karen: My mom is in a wonderful nursing home...she is in a wheelchair and has dementia. ..I have googled mom's favorite music and played for her...she always smiles so big when I do thus...I know that she remembers these oldies and perhaps a good memory will come to mind for her...also we reminisce about old times which helps me and her....
Amanda: I 've learned since working in a nursing home, to try a memory book. We use a memory book a lot with my grandma. She has dementia and doesn't remember when we visit her. All it is, is a spiral notebook with the date the time of visit and what we talked about. When she doesn't think that we come and visit her, we open the book and let her read
Lauren: I am seeing this with my Mom right now. My Grandmother passed away in January and my grandfather has had some health issues, so my Mom has been caring for him. She has some sisters who help, but she is retired so she is usually the one to do the running. It is emotionally exhausting. Definitely something for us to be planning for!
Tabitha: At times it can be very frustrating...but never let them think for one second that you are irritated...it will make them feel like a burden and after they are gone, you'll regret it. I'm thankful that God helped me in this area with my in laws. There are still some things I regret (because there always are when someone dies), but that's not one of them...so thankful!
Looking ahead:
Finally...as much as we don't like to think of our own old age...it's actually just around the corner. This article has some great advice and suggestions on how to plan for your own golden years, including anticipating financial and health concerns for yourself and your spouse.
I'm participating in "31 Days: A Writing Challenge," in which I 'll be blogging on the subject of Gracefully Aging every day during the month of October. Click the button below for more information and links to each post as they become available!
7 comments:
It is hard watching our parents age but so important to honor them in all stages of life. Thank you for the reminder.
Love the way you polled the audience. Would love to find a way to do that for my final blog post on the 31st. Thanks for the wonderful tips!
I agree withe last two comments, that is exactly what I was thinking. Even though my parents aren't there yet, I do think about the future and this is very insightful.
Great advice. My nana is in her 80s and, although she is relatively healthy, she often feels like a huge burden to people. She also suffers with loneliness and I think that her feeling like she is causing someone trouble holds her back from reaching out.
I have been lucky enough to visit my grandparents every 1-2 weeks with my little boys and love seeing their eyes light up and their ailments disappear when they see their beloved great-grandsons. My 92 year old grandmother is one of my very best friends, and there was no one I respected more than my 101 year old grandpa. Although it is hard to see them slow down (my grandpa passed earlier this year), I wouldn't trade our time together for anything else in the world.
Like Natalie, I'm not there yet with my parents, but I appreciated all the perspectives here and will keep them tucked away.
I'm not there yet, either, but my dad had rotator cuff surgery today, and it definitely has me thinking.
I linked to your blog on mine, btw! I'm writing about Renee Zellwegger's new look...www.georgiadrurys.com.
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