I care for my parent. It wears me out but I am also grateful that I am alive and able to help another human being. It has been 5 long years since we were injured. at the end of each day I always looked forward to this brief podcast, sometimes even falling asleep before the jokes at the end.
I could never put a person with dementia in a care center and am in disagreement with carol on that point. One exception would be if they are violent. Then I could not care for them.
If a person has their intellectual abilities they can do very well in a care center. The poor folks with dementia get pushed to the back, medicated until they die usually with strangers to cover the body and call a relative. They fall down and nobody even notices! I could write a book about the real truth about not-care centers. I would not put a dog there! They leave people sitting in urine and feces until it soaks through the chair or smells. Then they slowly get to them. We wonder why they have pressure sores? If they took them to the bathroom every two hours, this would help.
Hell no, they don’t have time for that!
Boomers, and I am 65, we need to push for higher standards for dementia care. We need to be advocates for we will be there next.
I have spent much time visiting those places and it is truly horrible! None of them really had enough staff or quality staff to do even a half way decent job. They pay people $8-10 an hour and hire almost anyone at all to try a shift. Help changes often and they usually do not get to know about each person’s unique needs, interests or abilities.
They brag about game/activity time every afternoon- I saw what that looks like- tables with games not being played, people sitting at a table in a daze while 8-10 staffers are talking and eating donuts. Not one staff member even noticed that I was there to visit a relative. Get angry people!
If you placed a loved one in a facility, think twice!
They have no voice left! You may think to yourself, “I am no caregiver, not me! “ Believe me, if you care at all, they will be better off in your home.
Carol, thank you for helping we caregivers! I love ‘let’s talk dementia’ May god bless all of the listeners and caregivers and most importantly may God bless those suffering with this horrible disease.
More than anything else these people need and still deserve to be loved. Everyday they struggle to make sense of their world. Seeing your face and recognizing that you love them helps them put the major pieces together. People with dementia who are shown love can continue to live a quality life.
That has been my experience with my mom who is now 95 years old. She is happy almost every day.
She has a purpose and is busy every single day. She knows she is loved, even though she is entering her final chapter.
Sorry this review was not so well written or well thought out, but you other caregivers will understand hopefully😀 good night
