R is for respite, and for caregivers that means time off to pay attention to ourselves!
I'm actually pretty lucky compared to some. I have in-home care from a caregiver who comes in for a few hours every weekday, and my sister is available if I want to be gone overnight or for a weekend. But still, it isn't enough to really turn my attention to my own goals (or to really relax and rejuvenate) in a meaningful way. Running errands and having a coffee doesn't fulfill those needs.
To that end, I'm enrolling Mom in an adult day program for seniors with dementia. I've got all the paperwork in and am coming down the home stretch in terms of getting this finalized. And then? After the initial period of seeing whether it's a good fit, I plan to just let things open up for a while. The day program combined with the in-home care we already have will allow me to have pretty much all day to do things like work out, take a class or possibly even work part-time. It remains to be seen how my time and energy will settle out, but I'm pretty certain that this is going to be a turning point for me, as well as a good thing for Mom. Fingers crossed!
Good for you for taking this step for both you and your Mom. If I had a "do-over" with my mother who suffered from Alzheimer's I would have enrolled her in daycare as well. She would have loved to socialize and be around other people besides my Dad. I think she was lonely a lot. I hope it works out for both of you!
ReplyDeleteOh thank you! She seems so, so bored. She just sits and stares, sometimes. I really think it will be good for her to be busy and socialize, and it will definitely be good for me!! I can't wait until this red-tape phase is done.
DeleteWe sometimes get so lost in playing different roles - mother, daughter, wife et al that we forget to care for ourselves along the way. Hope things work out well for you. Good luck with rest of the challenge!
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