On November 13, 2010 I gladly became the primary caregiver of my mother. She has Lewy Body Dementia, the second most common memory loss condition after Alzhiemers. I knew nothing about Lewy Body Dementia until I brought Mom to Indiana to live with me. My mother is a resident at the Waters of Covington, a rehabilitation center near our home. I would like to have her live with us but her care is more then one person can provide. The staff at the Waters fell in love with Mom immediately. She may be losing her memory and her ability to care for herself but she hasn't lost her sense of humor or her gentle grace. This blog is meant to be a journal of our days together.



On May 15, 2011 My Mother peacefully and fearlessly passed into the here after. Now I journey alone, yet not alone. I have a lifetime of memories.




Monday, January 24, 2011

Who is Getting Old? Her or Me?

Part of the strangeness of taking care of Mom is I have to remind myself that she is the old one. But, I am adjusting to her oldness AND my getting oldness. LOL Take my word for it. It is a very strange feeling.

This last weekend I spoke to Mom's Dr. I just happened to catch him at the nursing home. We spoke in the hall in front of the nurses desk just inside the front door. One of the NA's rolled a laundry cart past us and I about came unglued. I had just gotten hearing aids the day before and EVERYTHING is too loud for me. I had to laugh at the comedy of it. Getting hearing aids is an "old persons" thing. And there I was talking to a Dr. about my mother getting old. Well, maybe you had to be there.

Mom keeps me off balance too. One day she behaves and understands like a very young child and then bamm she is an adult again. It happens so fast. She is like a cognative quick change artist. Most of the time I try to treat her the very way I would want to be treated but then there are times when that just doesn't work. Dementia is not a fair player. It always throws you a curve.

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