Helping mum recover her lost memories: Making a life story book

In this post, I share what I learnt about creating a life story book with mum. After sharing encouraging experiences of some reminiscence activities, I chart six steps to creating a life story book.

Mindfulness for carers

Mindfulness can help develop inner calm and reduce anxiety but how to get started.... Here are some practices that could be helpful for carers starting looking for some simple practices.

Mum, me and dementia: Learning the important things in life

The Hunter Centre asked me to write about my experience of caring for my mother. As an organisation that supports people living with dementia and their carers, they wanted to bring a personal perspective to navigating this sometimes challenging area. I wrote the following post for them. It is a summary of my caring journey …

Settling into the care home

Whether or not a move to a care home is planned or triggered by crisis, there is a lot you can to do to support the wellbeing of your loved one once they have moved. This post shares some ideas.

Three top tips for carers of people with dementia

In Carers Week 2019, I highlight three must-do, top tips for family carers of people living with dementia.

Desperately Seeking a Good Care Home

A statistic haunts me as I search for a new care home in preparation for mum’s final move. On average, residents of care homes get only two minutes of social interaction with staff a day. While this statistic is based on a small sample of homes in England, I fear it sums up the quality …

Food, Glorious Food: So What?

When I brought mum back home, I was keen to get her onto a healthy diet. In my efforts to prepare the perfect dish, I tried to keep mum out of the kitchen and out of my way, until I realised this was becoming a problem…

Mo the Cat: Value of Pets for People with Dementia

One morning recently, I overheard mum saying to the carer, “I should be able to get washed and dressed myself,” before bursting into tears. The carer was sensitive and supportive, and mum was soon dressed and ready for the day. But, sitting in the living room a little later, she was still feeling fragile and …

Responding Mindfully to Emotional Turmoil

Now I have adequate time off and enough sleep, the biggest issue I face is how to support mum through times of emotional turmoil. The turmoil is not only felt by her. When mum dips into despair or becomes greatly agitated, I experience a surprising range of emotions. Empathy, compassion and concern for mum are …

Helping Mum Remember Who She Is

Since mum has been home I have been painfully struck by the impact of vascular dementia on her memory. I thought I was prepared for the time when she no longer remembered me. What I didn’t expect is that her memories would come and go.