photo #5283863

Saw this poem and had to share it... along with a little personal story from more than a decade ago: While my mother did not have Alzheimers, she was in her 90s and suffered from dementia... the doctor said it’s the same mental decline and to brace ourselves. I had made a point of taking mom out to lunch and/or dinner whenever I was able to fly up to VA (every 4-6 weeks). As those of us who deal with Alzheimers and/or dementia know... patience, repetition and explanation is the name of the game... and it becomes exhausting to deal with. On one occasion, a stranger stopped by our table and told me that she was sitting in the adjoining booth and had overheard much of our conversations. She commented on my patience, the way I handled our conversations, repeating the same answers over and over and over again, and how gentle I was with my mother. I’m not writing this to blow my own horn. What that ‘compliment’ did for me was invaluable. It made me work harder to have more patience as my mom declined. So! If you’re out somewhere and you see what that woman saw, make a point of telling the caregiver. You have no idea how much it helps