I’ve been receiving comments at former blogs  regarding caregiving, Alzheimer’s and quilts.  I now write these at b5’s  Blisstree and would like to share the information received from readers.  I hope you’ll find it interesting and informative.
To my post, Design a Touch Quilt for Alzheimer’s Patients, one of my readers pointed me to Eva’s Loving Touch Lap Quilts.  Here we learn about the Alzheimer’s patient’s need for tactile or sensory stimulation and comfort. 
This reminds me how much my aunt seemed to need the sensation of something comforting to rub her hands over as she sat in her rocking chair.  My mother, in …read more

Another form of parenting consists of caring for one’s parents or elderly relatives. You’ve gone from being parented to parenting that older person.   Most caregivers go into this stage of life without adequate preparation or support.
Finding caregiver support groups in your area, or online, can be a challenge.  Here are a few suggestions.
Check out the following places in your community to see if they have a support group or know of any:

Home health agencies
Senior Center
Local Hospital
Local Nursing homes
State Alzheimer’s Association
State Department of the Elderly or Family Services
Others caring for elderly parents or spouses

If there is nothing in your community, the …read more

Many parents are caring for children still at home while becoming responsible for their parents. They’re that “generation between” or the “sandwich generation,” who are parenting in two directions.
When I cared for Mother and Auntie,  I had my dad and my uncle who needed assistance, too.  Father and Uncle Al had physical problems but not dementia or Alzheimer’s.  Mother remained my responsibility for eight years after the others passed away.
My daughter was grown and caring for her children.  So, even though I helped with grandchildren, I didn’t have full responsibility, as many of you do with younger children at home.
The …read more

One of my readers commented on my post, Parenting More Than Our Children, that few things prepare us for the role reversal of caring for our parents.  Often we’re caring for our own children, too.
I agree.  I wasn’t prepared, and it seems so strange at first. However, I learned to enjoy Mother and Auntie as they journeyed through their Alzheimer’s world. There were frustrations, disappointments, but rewards, too. My daughter and her children’s lives are richer, as well, by caring for these ladies. The memories are often bittersweet, but this was a stage in their lives that I hoped we made easier for …read more

QuiltingAndPatchwork.com
 What can one write in six words to express their life? Carol O’Dell, author of Mothering Mother and More, tagged my Alzheimer’s Notes blog for this meme, Is Your Life a Six Word Memoir?  So I thought I’d share this with my readers here.
What words can I use? What words can you use to describe your life?  This would vary at different stages in my life. I can include experiences now that I didn’t several years ago.
Wife, mother, grandmother, author, quilter, and visionary  come to mind. I’m also a teacher, speaker and business woman. However, the first six seem to encompass the others. …read more