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.
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.
Finding a Good Care Home for Mum (Part 3)
I haven’t felt like writing after my last blog post ‘Finding a good care home (part 2)’. Mum’s move to a new care home has been more traumatic than I imagined. It felt at times that all the months of preparation, shortlisting, interviews and visits were a complete waste of time.
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 … Continue reading Desperately Seeking a Good Care Home
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.
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...
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…
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 … Continue reading Maintaining Routines: Nights, Mornings and Social Services
Responding to Feelings of Low Self-Esteem
After three weeks holiday, I visited mum at her care home last Sunday. When I arrived, she was walking up and down a corridor, wearing a winter hat and clutching my wedding album. I already knew from care staff that she was on antibiotics for a chest infection, so I was reassured to see her … Continue reading Responding to Feelings of Low Self-Esteem
Should I Bring Mum Home?
Since mum went into care in October 2015, I have been wondering whether an institutional home is the right place for her. Experts and professionals involved in dementia care have insisted to me that she is better off in a care home. This reassurance has put my mind at rest for weeks, and even months, at a time. However, the question invariably comes back with greater force and more insistence than before.
Julia's dementia blog 