I was reading a book yesterday by Gary Joseph LeBlanc titled “Staying Afloat in a Sea of Forgetfulness”. he mentioned that his father, who had Alzheimer’s Disease, played 2-3 hours of Solitaire a day, which helped his father to maintain a sense of “can do” and Gary some time to himself.
This reminded me that while I was caring for my father, we not only played 2-3 hours of Cribbage each night ( which was great for my father), but also that my father read the paper each day for about 2 hours. This was MY time to do things for myself. Sadly, the reason I had these 2 hours available was because it was difficult for my father to remember what he had just read ( and sometimes he even REread the paper in the afternoon) but it was a way to get some “me” time without even planning for it. Of course, by that, I don’t mean that I left the house.
Another lady I met whose husband also had Alzheimer’s, discovered one day that her husband had a “friend” in the mirror. He began chatting with this friend (who he said was just the nicest guy) for longer and longer periods of time. Soon, she found that she could get some alone time while he was “visiting” for 1-2 hours. (I wonder if 1-2 hours is a constant in these situations). He also invited his friend to dinner but that’s another story.
While these situations are sad in and of themselves because they stem from the disease process, they are almost like a gift of respite to the caregiver.
I wonder….. Do any of our readers have similar stories that you’d like to share? I would love to hear some.
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Hi Shelley! Happy Hoildays! I’m stopping by on Caregiving.com’s holiday progressive blog party.
I’m intrigued by the book you mention, “Staying Afloat in a Sea of Forgetfulness.” Would you recommend? And, did you pick up any helpful tips?
I hope your holiday season is off to a good start. Thank you for all you do to help family caregivers! Wishing you many blessings. 🙂
Hi Shelley, I popped over from the Caregiving Holiday Progressive Blog Party at Caregiving.com. So fun to see old friends and make new friends at the holidays, isn’t it. 🙂
What an interesting article! My aunt lived with us for three years when I was a teen, but I’m afraid I don’t remember very many specifics from that as I was at school much of the time. What a blessing if that is a consistent occurrence. I’d love to hear if you find out more about it. 🙂
Have a wonderful Advent season and a Merry Christmas!
Howdy from central Texas! We at Hill Country Care Providers (http://hillcountrycareproviders.com) are looking to find some like-minded companies and individuals across the country to confer with regarding eldercare, in-home geriatric practices, and with whom to simply share general health tips. We’re all in this together–competition, borders, and profit margins all seem rather insignificant when you consider the people whose well-being is at stake. Happy Holidays–and keep on keepin’ on!
Also, three cheers to CareGiving.com for organizing the Holiday Progressive Blog Party! What a great idea to bring people together.