She is in Heaven Now
My beautiful, kind, loving mother passed away March 28, 2024. Ten years to the week I came home to take care of her. She really did pass peacefully. No feeding tubes. No troubled breathing. No hospitalization. Just quietly at home in the middle of the night...
Still with Us
It's been a bumpy while. Several times we've been certain it is the end. So much so that family are angry with me for calling them in to say their last good-bye. ?! Anyway, she is still with us. I'm glad for that. There are some things that only take time to get...
Nearing the End. 🙁
After 10 years of LBD I think my mom is nearing the end. Her body has broken out in hives, she isn't eating or drinking, her fever keeps spiking. Please say a prayer for us.
So Ends 2023
In a few hours this year will be over. I thought for sure mom wouldn't make it this year but she has. Barely. She is not well. She is on hospice. And several times even today I checked to make sure she was still going. She is. And she could rally and make it a...
Happy Thanksgiving! (and hello hospice)
I hope you are having a great thanksgiving and enjoying the blessings of the last year. There's always good and bad things in every year. Where will we be in a year from now? Where will you be Thanksgiving 2024? I likely will not be in the same place. Last month we...
[Updated] So I’m Working on Something for the Lewy Lean
There are times where my loved one's lean is so hard I have trouble feeding her. That and it is a choking hazard. So I'm working on a support system. I took an individual sized gatorade bottle and cut off the top part enough to slide it over her wheelchair. Then I...
FREE with Kindle Unlimited: The Essential Guide to Dementia Caregiving
It's not the path I originally intended, but there is a way to still get it free. If you have Kindle Unlimited, for a time you can get the book free on there. If you don't have Kindle Unlimited, you can get a free 30 day trial and then get the book free. Also in...
Take the Picture
It's been over 9 years a caregiver for me and in a few months it will be 10 years of mom struggling with these issues. So where am I at? My computer crashed a couple of weeks ago and it could not be wiped. I was able to get some things off before it crashed which...
This Shirt is Fantastic
I was walking into Walmart when I someone with this on the back of their shirt. I asked her if I could snap a picture and she agreed. It's a shirt from where they work. Great job whoever did this one!
Forgiveness – One of the Most Important Practices of a Caregiver
Caregiving is not like what most os us expect. There are many things that do not go like we had hoped or planned. Family that we thought would help...don't, people say the most terrible things if you take care of your loved one at home and not in a nursing facility,...
Bowel Incontintence
Bowel incontinence is no joke and it comes at late stages. For us, since mom has broken her 3x (2x on one and 1x on the other), she cannot stand. No longer can we get her into the bathroom in our older house to put her in the shower to clean her up. It's in the...
Watermelon Help
It's hot these days. At least where we are at. And those with dementia rarely drink enough. Part of the reason is that swallowing is a HUGE issue in LBD. In fact, so much so that it's often why a person dies. They can no longer swallow to eat, or they choke and...
The Best Piece of Equipment We Have for This Season
Each season of caregiving means different pieces of equipment. For right now, the gold piece of equipment we have is the Get-U-Up Lift by Invacare. Mom cannot stand or lift her legs at all. The confusion is too great. The lift is the only thing we use to get her...
The Magic Ingredient
There is truly one thing that makes a significant difference for your loved one and that is water. I always know when my loved one hasn't had enough water as the next day they will not be well. Elderly people are not fond of drinking a lot of water, so it's your job...
Saving Ahead For the Days to Come
I'm working now to try to make ends meet. There are challenges for sure. But as mom is struggling, I'm working harder to save up to for when she passes away, as I know that I will need time off work to do all that I need to do. I'm using YNAB for software but I've...
Help with the Lewy Lean
If your loved one has LBD, then they have a severe lean to one side. Their head rests on their shoulder and their body tilts heavily in one direction. Whether on the couch or in the car, they lean. One thing we've done to help support her neck is to take one of...
Drive at 5
It's at 5 pm that mom asks to go home even though she is home. It really struck me last night it's because there isn't a "drive." There isn't a getting in the car and going home. I realize now that at 5 pm she needs to go for a drive around the block so she...
When “Don’t” Doesn’t Work
Mom often has times where I need to stay "Stop!" or "Don't Sit!" for safety reasons. She often tries to just sit in the middle of nothing which could be injurious. We are always by her side so she doesn't, but the problem is that is she tries it takes a lot of...
Your Tone Matters More than Your Words
It's a hard day when you are sick and your loved one is exhibiting psychotic and neurotic behavior and needing extra help. You don't want to move but you must. At least we have to. Our loved one is 100% dependent. Harder yet is to not lose patience when it takes 10...
Thicker for Better Hydration
I have made mom fruit smoothies in the past from frozen bananas and whatever fruit I had. She can drink a lot of it. But give her water and she sips. The problem is that her dehydration is making her groggy, mentally out of it and not well. Then it hit me. ...
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