Tell Us: What’s the Smartest Thing You’ve Done?
Sep 27 2011 in Denise's Blog, Tell Us by Denise
Often, when I look back on my life, I think about the dumb things I’ve done. Ugh, I’ll think, that was so dumb!
Once in awhile, my memory will give me a break and dwell on those actions or decisions which were quite smart. Thinking of those smart moments in my life gives me hope that my future will include more smart decisions.
So, I’d love to know: What’s the smartest thing you’ve done as a family caregiver? Perhaps you switched your caree’s doctor and now you both have a resource and an advocate. Maybe you moved your caree into an assisted living facility at what you now can see was the right time. Or, perhaps you rearranged the house so that care can take place conveniently and efficiently.
What’s the smartest thing you’ve done as a family caregiver? Please share in our comments section, below.
Updates
- Your Caregiving Journey airs twice today! At 11:30 a.m. ET, Claire Day, Vice President of Constituent Services for the Alzheimer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter, answers your questions about dementia. At 3 p.m. ET, we have our Caregiving Book Club discussion. This month, we’re reading The Caregiving Years, Six Stages to a Meaningful Journey by me. G-J steps in as show host to interview me. To listen to both shows, visit here. We’ve got more shows coming up this week; view the schedule here.
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Margarete said on September 27, 2011
Before we realized that my husband developed Alzheimer’s, we noticed a decline of our farm, physically and financially. That forced us to look for additional ways to supplement our income. Working away from home was impossible so we looked into ways to work from home.
A chance fax about an essential oil called “Abundance” caught my interest since abundance truly eluded us. I ordered it, loved it and it began to work its magic. We decided to make these products my home based business. That was one of the SMARTEST things we ever did. Not only did these products help my husband and me through the difficult years ahead, but the residual income I was able to create made life and care easier. The business and resulting relationships also helped me to flourish during and beyond the Alzheimer’s years.
Jo said on September 29, 2011
During an earlier visit by my parents I took them to a lawyer and had drawn up durable, general powers of attorney, health care wills and general wills. My parents were still sound enough to concent. Can’t imagine getting those key documents done now in their current mental state.
Bette said on October 4, 2011
The smartest thing I’ve done as a caregiver, was to take my mother out of a facility that she was mistakingly placed. At the time, she was struggling with a needed medication change, which was not recognized by her doctors. Instead, early altzheimers was given as a probable reason for her behavior.
I was told I should not take her to live with us – “that I wouldn’t be able to handle her”. Four years later she was diagnosed with vascular dementia. When I look back at that time, it gives me an added reassurance that although I can’t help her cognitively now, I did then – she had over four years of clear thinking and family time that she would not have had otherwise.