It's Mother's Day this Sunday. I'll be visiting my mom, but I'm not sure whether she will understand it's Mother's Day. I feel fortunate that she continues to recognize me, and seemingly enjoys when I visit and spend time with her. My mom has Alzheimer's Disease, a disease that erodes the brain. There are a number of different types of diseases of the brain (dementia), and it is among the fastest growing health epidemics of our time. My mom worked as an RN for decades. A proud and intelligent woman, she took care of herself, along with my father, and engaged in no unhealthy behaviors to bring this upon herself.
It's Mother's Day this Sunday also for my sister, who is my mother's family caregiver. It is a critically important and thankless job. She makes sure my mom doesn't get lost, tries to make sure she eats right, helps her find things she misplaces, gently but firmly intervenes in unsafe situations, drives her places because mom can't drive even though she thinks she can, listens to the same anecdotes and stories dozens of times in a day, tries to understand and tolerate my mom's mood swings, and repeatedly answers questions including the whereabouts of my father who passed away last year.
God bless all the moms, and especially god bless all the moms who are doing double-duty being a mom for their children, and a caregiver for one or both of her parents.
If you are a family caregiver and are interested in what support is available to you, call The Information Center at (734) 282-7171, and ask about the area Caregiver Support groups that are available at no charge to you.
Two thumbs up for your sister for her incredible job! I wouldn’t say that it is a thankless job. I think caring for your loved one the best you can is a very rewarding job. Yes, it can be tough, and there would be days that you want to give-up. But when you see someone you loved doing great despite their condition, that itself is a sweet reward.[Floella Mccullough]
ReplyDeleteI admire your sister for giving her time to take care of your sick mother. Time is the best gift you can give to anyone, and your mother is not just anyone. We owe our lives to our moms, and they deserve to be taken care of in return. Good job to your sister! :)
ReplyDelete-Heal at Home Care