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A Year in My Life
Lessons I have learned in a year of taking care of my mom
A year ago today, I flew to Florida to help my mom finish packing her condo and bring her up to New York to live with me. Nothing in my life has been the same since.
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Don’t try to do everything
When I first started looking after my mom, I thought I was the only one who was supposed to help her with things. If we were out and someone else helped her, I immediately beat myself up. Why didn’t I see she needed something?
After a while, a LONG while, I realized, I don’t have eyes in the back of my head. I can’t do everything, all the time. If my housemate tells me she helped mom with something, I thank her for it but I don’t beat myself up for it.
This is a marathon, not a sprint. Accept help when it is offered. My LO (loved one) officially moved in with me last year and only in the last few weeks did I just accept it when people helped her. I do a lot but I can’t do everything.
There is help out there
Taking care of someone with dementia takes a lot of work and effort but there is good news; help is out there. Depending on where you live, there may be…