Caregiving Daughter

In the past few years, Mom has not done a lot of activities.  Due to the dementia she has from Alzheimer’s, she has kept more to herself.  Instead of pursuing hobbies, Mom spends a lot of time going through her things, over and over.

There still are a few things that Mom does that I think are positive and good for her.  One thing is that she likes to read.  She will read our local newspaper from cover to cover.  She also enjoys some magazines like Reader’s Digest and the weekly newsletter from the church she used to attend.   Sometimes, she even gets out the phone book and spend hours pouring through the names looking for people she knows.

Another positive activity for Mom is spending time with the cats.  I really believe that pets are great for Alzheimer’s patients.  Mom loves spending time with them and helping out with their care.   They really bring a lot of enjoyment to her life.

Mom also likes to work outside.  She’s afraid to go out unless we are home, because she’s so suspicious of someone lurking in the bushes watching her.  When Mom does go out, she works by picking up sticks and sweeping off the porch and deck.  Lately, Mom has even been joining us when we go out to pick the wild raspberries.

Going to Church is another favorite activity of Mom’s.  Sometimes it’s a challenge to get her up and moving early enough so she’ll be ready, but when we make it she is really happy.  It gives her a reason to get dressed up and be around other people.  Mom loves the singing, and she sings a lot of the old hymns she’s familiar with around the house.

I really glad that in spite of suffering from Alzheimer’s, Mom still has some activites she enjoys that she can participate in.  We’ll do everything we can to ensure Mom will be able to participate in these activities as long as possible.