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 … Continue reading Desperately Seeking a Good Care Home
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…
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 … Continue reading Mindfulness and Dementia
Take Care of Yourself First
Whether you care for a relative with dementia at home, or visit them in a care home, you need to be mindful of the potential toll on your own physical and mental health. Helpful advice that I dismissed. Don’t make the same mistake.