No Retirement for Aunt Margaret
A story from Margaret Stanner, as told to Karen Mulder. Where in the Bible does it say, “When a person reaches the...
No Retirement for Aunt Margaret
TAG: Aging and Elderly
Don’t Be Too Late
Don’t Be Too Late
I have regrets. I wish that I would have communicated with my brother more during his last years of struggling with Parkinson’s disease. I regret that I didn’t visit my step father more frequently after my mother died. I procrastinated too long and too often and now it is too late. So today, I am listening to the wisdom of Ralph Waldo Emerson who says, “You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.”
The Wooden Bowl
The Wooden Bowl
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.
The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. “We must do something about father,” said the son. “I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.”
How do we handle the holidays when a loved one has dementia?
How do we handle the holidays when a loved one has dementia?
Holidays are memory days. But not for people with dementia.“Do you remember the year the tree fell over…when the cousins stayed for all eight days…when Santa forgot to eat the cookies and the kids cried…”Holidays, especially the Christmas holiday are a tapestry woven with memories. So what happens when your mom or dad or loved one has lost those memories and you want to spend time with them.
How can we offer hope to someone who is suffering?
How can we offer hope to someone who is suffering?
If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Providing hope to someone whose days are dark with worry or who is suffering with a serious illness is also giving them courage and the vitality to keep moving. What are some things we can do to bring that touch of hope?
Win-Win Situation
Win-Win Situation
I love the following true story written by Janet Clark from Hunnington, Indiana. It truly is a story of the family of God taking care of the care-giver and the care-receiver.
Janet says, I noticed that my friend Agnes was sounding and looking increasingly heavy-hearted about her husband's lack of social life since he became wheelchair-dependent. It finally occurred to me to just help his friends do what they probably wanted to do but didn't know how to get started.
Telling Life’s Stories
Telling Life’s Stories
Reminiscing is healthy! It's the process by which we make sense out of this mystery we call life. Reminiscing helps those who are older to find meaning and purpose in the years they have lived. It can create new levels of appreciation and intimacy between generations and can transform times spent beside beds or other visits into memorable times together.
The following questions will provide you with hours of worthwhile communication. If possible, tape or write down your discussions. Then the stories can be shared with other family members and friends.
