One morning, I video-chatted with my mother while her nurse dressed her. Moments later, she said, “Christy, I am heading to activities. I must get off this phone!” Yes, after only a few minutes, our conversation ended. (Sigh) My prayer has been that she bonds with her new neighbors. I’ve heard that these types of connections help dementia patients thrive even as the disease progresses. But I miss long conversations. I miss being the one with whom she is active. I miss seeing her dress Continue Reading
A Moving Moment
From redirecting to reminding…from doing “it” for her to picking up behind her… from meeting with family and leaving with a plan to meeting with doctors and leaving with a diagnosis. It was hard to hear and tempting to challenge. It explained experiences. It triggered emotions. After crossing the T's we were encouraged to cross, we dotted the I's we knew to dot. What remained were unmet needs, unanswered questions, and an unrevealed solution. Unsure of what to do, I did what I was Continue Reading
The Courage to Change Your Mind
You can change your mind. If you said “yes,” you could now say “no.” If you always have…, you can choose to not… anymore. You made the purchase, signed the line, shook the hand. You can return the item, sign another line, and consider another option. Did you get dressed and promise you were coming? You can get undressed and assure them you meant no wrong. We make decisions based on the information we have at that moment. When new information presents itself, it is wise, mature, and allowed to Continue Reading