Last night I had an interesting conversation – initiated by my 5-year-old granddaughter. She started by telling me she loves me. Then added, she’d still love me even when I was dead. My daughter admonished her saying “sweetie, saying stuff like that freaks some people out”. My gut response was she just needs to know […]
Let me start by saying conscious incompetence is a great place to start when you’re the named an Enduring Power of Attorney. Not many people are fully aware of all of the responsibilities involved in undertaking the role of Enduring Power of Attorney. Knowing that you don’t know everything allows you to start by learning. […]
Making wishes come true is one of the greatest experiences one can have. One day, when looking at a picture of a horse, our mother whispered, “I wish I could ride a horse one more time.” Mom was 88 years old and suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s related dementia. It took an amazing amount of effort, […]
Possessions do play a role in our wellbeing – taking the time to consider and then re-think which possessions will make a difference for the individual we are caring for is an important part of the role of a Personal Directive Agent. When Mom moved into the dementia unit she was always worrying about […]
Our mom loved music. Her father was a fiddle player, and Mom grew up going to country dances. When Mom was in care, musicians would come to play one night a week at the facility where she lived. However, they performed in the main part of the building where Mom couldn’t go on her own. […]
Life is filled with simple pleasures – small things that bring you joy. Simple pleasures are unique activities or experiences that make life pleasant in a distinctive way. My dad and I used to discuss our shared joy in listening to good music. He loved Il Divo and listening to their CD’s brought him great […]
Perhaps you are like me and can remember the cartoon character Popeye and saying “I am what I am and that’s all that I am” in his gruff little voice. I often think of that character and his message these days – when I think about how I confused the role of Personal Directive Agent […]
