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Managing The Stress ~ Making The Decisions ~ Discovering The Meaning |
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Caregiving |
Solutions To Your Caregiving Situations Throughout Your Caregiving Years |
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(Each month, we take a closer look at an aspect of your caregiving experience. In April, our focus is meaningful moments and activities for you and your care recipient.) Meaningful activities to fill the day--and the void By Denise M. Brown After seven years ago, I happened to show my sister a recent issue of Caregiving newsletter. As she read through the issue, she looked at me, almost aghast. The words popped out of her mouth before she could stop herself: "What do they do with these people all day?" For some reason, the expression on her face and the words she used to phrase her question have always stayed with me. Perhaps because a "pedestrian", so to speak, had an epiphany about what the day-to-day stresses of a family caregiver must be like. And, how very difficult finding activities for a frail older adult must be. Because let's face it. Most likely, your park district isn't offering an arts and crafts class every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. for your mother who has short-term memory loss or for your great-aunt whose arthritis has captured her in a wheelchair. And, if it was, well, there's the problem of transportation as well as disability-accessible entrances and classrooms. While my sister's response may not have been politically correct, I think it reflected the enormity of one of your greatest caregiving responsibilities: Finding meaningful activities. In this special focus, we hope to provide ideas for you how to fill your care recipient's day with purposeful activities. Meaningful activities are important to your care recipient: They provide motivation for getting out of bed in the early, distractions to the never-ending pain and losses and just reasons for being. They are also important to you as a caregiver, as they provide you with a brief respite and the opportunity to make an important connection to your care recipient. For just a few moments, if you can enjoy an activity together, you transcend your caregiver-care recipient relationship and become just friends. Who could ask for more than that? Activites Index of Articles: Giving Meaning to the Day: Adjusting to the Changes Help Your Care Recipient Feel Helpful Children and Your Care Recipient Traveling with Your Care Recipient Do you have activities that you enjoy with your care recipient? We'd love to know about them--please e-mail Denise with your activity ideas. |
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