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.

The year in pictures: Caring for mum at home

Mum moved back into a care home last month. I have lived with her and cared for her over the last 12 months, but had always planned to return to my own home at the end of the year. I took lots of photos to capture our good times together, knowing these times were limited. I've enjoyed compiling these pictures, which bring back treasured memories.

A Day in the Life of Mum, Dementia and Me

Since I got back from holiday mum has been more grumpy than usual. Sometimes she feels she has been wronged, withdraws, gives monosyllabic responses and behaves a bit like a sulky teenager. Not just with me, but with special carers that she normally gets on with.

Caring in the Face of Physical Distress and Overwhelming Anxieties

The last six weeks have been very difficult for mum and I. As mum wasn't well she needed more active care and psychological support. To cope I needed more time off and good sleep, but the opposite happened. I felt the strain at times.

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 …

Choosing a Care Home

Choosing a care home for a family member living with dementia, may be the most important decision you ever make on their behalf. Of course if they have the capacity to make the decision, your role might be to support them. Either way, the more informed you are the better. The choice will have huge …

New Course for Family Carers of People with Dementia

It’s been several weeks since I attended a valuable and engaging programme for carers of people living with dementia. It is a new initiative, and this was the first in a series of pilot courses run by Dementia Carers Count. Since the three-day programme, that took place in a comfortable hotel in Swindon, I have been …

Mindfulness and dementia

Recently, I had some success helping mum move from fear and distress to being able to smile again. Deep breathing and mindfulness helped. If you care for someone with dementia who is sometimes fraught, this might work for them too. Feeling fraught When I arrived to visit mum at the care home, she was in …

Tackling Anxiety and Depression

Mum often suffers high levels of anxiety and becomes very tearful and down. These strong emotional states are getting worse, and seem heightened following her change of room at the care home. I still haven't managed to unearth the core elements that will enable me to develop a 'Contented Dementia' plan, described in previous posts. …

Changing Rooms

Last Friday, my mother moved into a new room on a newly created lower ground floor in her care home. Having created the new floor, the care home sought to separate residents so that those who had ‘nursing’ needs above usual dementia support, stayed on the original floor. Nine residents including my mother were moved …