May this home provide a place for you to take a breath, to sit awhile, to know you’re doing the best you can as a caregiver, and know that you can create a spark of life in yourself and in the person you care for.
I don’t feel the need to add volumes of information to your world. I do feel the need to tell you that you already know what to do with your family member or friend who has Alzheimer’s or a related dementia. Please, tell your family member or friend their best stories, and write those stories down, frame them for the wall, leave them on the coffee table or the refrigerator or the bathroom mirror or the piano bench-for any and all to read who join your circle of care.
Human kindness, pluck and verve, humor and compassion; add these to the daily tasks of caregiving. Match her mood, catch that spark in her eye, fan the flame with the story that makes her laugh or cry or say, “That’s right! That’s who I am. Thank you for remembering my life for me!”
She may not be able to say it out loud; say it into your own ear, know that it’s true.
Doing this every day will change everything. Remember a person’s life, tell it out loud, and share it with everyone you know who will tell it too. This is the cure for Alzheimer’s.
Take care, and stay in touch,
Tryn Rose Seley,
Author, 15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders To Bring You Both Back to Solid Ground at www.caregiverheart.comPurchase PDF version of 15 Minutes of Fame
For those of you who prefer Amazon Kindle versions, Click Here.
For those of you who prefer Nook versions, Click Here.
Request printed copies at trynrose@gmail.com
