Care Partner
PWDP Ep 24: When Care Partnering Ends
Finding Meaning in Care Partnering
I believe that one of the most powerful tools in the dementia care partner’s toolbox is finding meaning in the challenging situation. I also feel that one of the most difficult topics to bring up is the same…finding meaning. After all, who am I to suggest that there is a purpose in this ordeal, or losing a spouse to the syndrome, or as some put it “becoming a parent to my parent”? Sometimes I will throw the topic it out to my support group and pray to not get dirty looks,
What is Ambiguous Loss ?
It’s called “ambiguous loss,” that complicated grief that impacts many dementia care partners because their loved one is “physically present, but psychologically absent.” Professor Emeritus Pauline Boss has been studying ambiguous loss since it was the topic of her doctoral dissertation over forty years ago. I discovered ambiguous loss while listening to a podcast three years ago and it made me think about my support group members who said they were grieving the loss of the loved one,
A Care Partner’s Witness
What do you think of this care parter’s witness of faith? Leave a comment below. God bless!
Following Christ’s Example
Critical Dementia Skill #2 Understanding Ambiguous Loss
This is the second installment in the Critical Dementia Skills (CDS) series. For more information on the series, start HERE. You can also click on the CDS tags in the blog for more. If you, like so many dementia care partners, have thought that you are grieving the loss of a spouse, parent, or friend even though they are still alive, there is a good chance that you are experiencing ‘ambiguous loss.” While this is feeling is not a litmus test as to if you have it,
Critical Dementia Skill #3 Building your Dementia Team
This is the third installment in the Critical Dementia Skills (CDS) series. For more information on the series, start HERE. You can also click on the CDS tags in the blog for more. Dementia is a large and complex challenge, so you need a large and comprehensive team to support you and your family. This article is an introduction to the core team members we recommend that you recruit for your large team. Later articles will offer in-depth information on each role.
Critical Dementia Skill #5 Creating Your Emotional Support Network
This is the fifth installment in the Critical Dementia Skills (CDS) series. For more information on the series, start HERE. You can also click on the CDS tags in the blog for more. We introduced the critical dementia skill of Building your Dementia Team in CDS 2.0 and now turn to another team that’s best understood as a network. All of us belong to networks of people through family, friends, work colleagues, fellow parishioners, and other activities.
Critical Dementia Skill #8 Shifting Roles We’ve Always Known
This is the eighth installment in the Critical Dementia Skills (CDS) series. For more information on the series, start HERE. You can also click on the CDS tags in the blog for more. Dementia is a condition that isolates many care partners in ways that go unnoticed by those not in that position. An example of this the loss of making decisions together with the person living with dementia, causing a shift in roles. Think about all of the decisions that a married couple makes,
