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 …

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.

Bridgeway’s Angels

Yesterday, we said a sad goodbye to one of our regular carers from the Council’s Bridgeway service. Today, a new carer started. We didn't get off to a great start.

So Long 2018 and Thanks for all the Support

2018 was quite a year for me and my mum. After over two years I brought mum back to her own home. As I look back, I am extremely grateful to all those who have supported us, particularly one doctor...

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 …

Decision Time: Does Mum Stay Home?

Mum has been back at her former care home since last Friday. This has enabled me to attend a mindfulness teacher training course in Oxford and take holiday with my husband, Jack. After six weeks looking after mum, I felt physically and emotionally drained when I dropped her off. As I drove away I felt …

Sleep Deprivation Marks Mum’s Fourth Week at Home

Mum got up 16 times the night before last. Yesterday, with just over two hours sleep, I felt like death warmed up. It may explain why both mum and I were unusually weepy watching the last two episodes of British period drama, Cranford! Over the last week, I have had four sleep-deprived nights. I guess …

Mum’s First Week Back at Home

Mum’s first week back at home has not been easy for her or me. Before mum came home, I was aware I hadn’t put into place all my pre-homecoming plans. I made progress on lots of things, but didn’t get completely up to date with tax and admin, or pre-cooked all the healthy meals I’d planned. …

Dementia-Friendly Door and Drawer Signs

As mum was coming home, I needed to signpost key rooms and the contents of wardrobes and drawers. You can get such signs so that the person living with dementia can find their way around the home independently, and can find personal belongings more easily. I looked into buying signs from specialist suppliers, but decided …

Maintaining Routines: Nights, Mornings and Social Services

On Sunday night after I had gone to bed, mum had a fall in the care home. Going to the toilet, groggy with sleep, she tumbled forward and banged her head on the basin as she fell. The care home staff alerted me after they called an ambulance. I pulled on some clothes and drove …