No…not the music festival…the Library!
Thank you to the wonderful people who joined me this week at the Woodstock Public Library for the “Navigating Elder Care with Grace & Humor” event. Connecting with new friends about what matters most…swapping tips and secrets about how to live our best lives while often caring for others…makes me smile. It’s a potent reminder that writing about my life with my mom, Sue, and sharing my story of resilience helps to pull people together.
There were many ‘nod and note‘ moments (thank you to my friend Linda for that observation) during the session as attendees asked terrific questions and shared their insights. Given the nature of caregiving, many of the lovely people who attended needed to make substantial schedule adjustments in order to join us and their input didn’t disappoint. A couple of the top tips and insights:
- There’s no shortage of reading material about caregiving and how to do it well but the challenge comes when we dive into too much too quickly. Being overwhelmed as a caregiver? We don’t need more of that. What’s the answer? Even the most highly recommended resource (such as great volumes like “The 36-Hour Day” from Johns Hopkins) might be best read in small doses. Diving in and reading cover-to-cover can be overwhelming. Instead, consider reading a chapter at a time, as needed. When it comes to caregiving for loved ones with dementia-related conditions, looking too far ahead might create anticipatory stress. Know yourself and your limits.
- Being around others who are in similar situations is a boost, in and of itself. I love watching the connection-making between attendees, as they swapped stories and shared information about resources. The company we keep can both lighten and energize us, even if ever-so briefly. I like the think of it as a small pocket of respite. I’ve been seen.
- Mantras and affirmations. Simple reminders, like this one, “No matter what, I’m doing my best” is neither silly nor time consuming. Try it!
- Humor truly does help. I loved hearing the stories from others about the breathing room that humor can create. It might change absolutely nothing about your load or circumstance, but a dash of levity has proven health benefits. Especially for caregivers.
Lastly, thank you to my dear ones, Carolynn and Linda for their support, and to our librarian friend, Austin Nord. What a pleasure it was to spend time with folks who came together to talk about caregiving and to learn from one another.
Vicki 😊
Check out this link to learn more about my book, “Surviving Sue”.
Victoria Ponders 
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