If you are caring for someone with dementia, you are in deep.  As caregiving goes, this situation presents some very particular challenges–and opportunities.

There’s the challenge of trying to maintain calm compassion as you listen to a story for the 19th or 20th time today.  There’s the constant worry for safety.  There’s the pain of not being recognized, and the constant grief as you lose someone slowly.  And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

There are also the sweet moments, opportunities for healing and connection, situations that give you a chance to laugh instead of cry.

Caregiving for dementia is a marathon, not a sprint.  I encourage you to build respite and self care into your routine as soon as you can, and seek out resources for education and support. One resource is the podcast Life on Repeat. I had the honor of being interviewed on this podcast, so I will share the link to that episode, but I hope you will peruse Laura Vaillancourt’s library to see what else might interest you. It’s a good place to start.

https://www.lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/episode/decision-making