Dementia Caregiver? 4+ Ways You Can Take a Break
Dementia Caregiver? 4+ Ways You Can Take a Break
You may know about art therapy for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias. But caregivers can benefit by using the arts, too -- as a break. It's an often-overlooked, quick pick-me-up, handy if a vacation is only a daydream and you're not into meditative breathing.
Gay Hanna, executive director for the National Center for Creative Aging, which offers a resource directory on arts programs, says the benefits of art definitely work to heal cared-for and caregiver alike. So....
WRITE
Keep a diary. Write a letter. Pour your heart out on looseleaf and burn it up after. Or join this online study by Dr. Howard Butcher at the University of Iowa, who's researching the effects of writing as stress relief for dementia caregivers specifically. Lots of studies have shown that writing has mental and physical health benefits for people in other stressful situations.
Or, of course, blog! Nikki of Dementia Thoughts, who cares for her 95-year-old grandmother, gets bonus de-stressing points for reporting she started three new blogs (!!!) on her birthday this week.
LISTEN
For an instant break: Visit Sometimes I Feel Like a Piece of Bologna (yes, a sandwich generation blog) for a moving YouTube video to a Josh Groban tune, all on caring for aging parents.
READ
Is fiction with Alzheimer's in the plot becoming a new genre? There's The Story of Forgetting (about early-onset) and Still Alice, which dementia blog Lotta Skirt praised last month as, "gets everything right."
WATCH
Last year's big dementia flicks Away From Her and The Savages hit too close-to-home for some dementia caregivers and felt like validation to others. If you're in the latter category, check out Diminished Capacity this July 4, starring Matthew Broderick, Alan Alda, and Virginia Madsen. The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and has been picked up for wide summer release, ForgetMemory pointed out this week.
Anything like these work for you? (Me, I've kept a journal since I was nine. Venting on paper provides "fast-acting relief.") Painting? Dancing? Maybe singing, with or for your loved one?
Image by Flickr user (and blogger) Ann Althouse used under the Creative Commons attribution license. (Photography is a healing art, too!)
I so agree with your recommendations about writing as a way for caregivers to handle their stress. It worked for me. I'm also glad you refer bloggers to Dr. Howard Butcher. His study results will provide a very important perspective on caregiving stress relief. I've been in regular touch with him and he is currently reading a copy of my book, "Dementia Diary, A Caregiver's Journal." I wrote this memoir at the request of many male caregivers present at a conference for caregivers at which I was invited to speak. They said there was a need for a book about caregiving written from a man's perspective since all other books like it were written by women. When I agreed to write it I thought it would just be a catharsis and would provide relief from the stress I felt. It did do this. However, the book has also become a kind of portable support group for caregivers of both genders. The email comments I receive from readers is very gratifying. My mother would have loved the idea that her illness has become a source of inspiration for other dementia stricken families. She died a year ago and with her death my caregiving responsibilities ended. As a friend said: I not only lost my mom, I lost my job! My memoir may be of interest to you or your bloggers. Anyone interested in learning more about this book, or about me, can check out my website: http://www.dementia-diary.com or feel free to write to me at: bobtell@mac.com
Thanks Susan and Gay for offering these really helpful resources.
Gay Hanna, executive director of the National Center for Creative Aging, wrote to add the following elaboration: "Participating in the arts with your loved one as a care giver is an excellent way to gain respite. The arts offer an "in the moment" experiences - where the cares and worries fade away - and the rhythm of healthy life returns through engagement fully at many levels - from the basic sensory experience of participation in the arts - to their being a vehicle for long term memories or immediate response that offer stunningly positive results. More and more museums, arts center and adult day care centers offer times for caregiver experiences in the arts. Take advantages of these times for respite - For further information contact The National Center for Creative Aging www.creativeaging.org or info@creativeaging.org or 202-895-9456. We look forward to hearing from you."
It is of the utmost importance that caregivers have time for themselves. Try one of the ideas suggested. If you do not take a break, you will be a far less effective caregiver. You will get sick..In fact your illness could be serious. Why not enroll your loved one in an adult day care program?. If you need a longer break or are going away, you could let youur loved one stay at a nursing home for respite care. by Susan Berg author of Adorable Photographs of Our Baby-Meaningful, Mind-Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones, and Involved Professionals, a book for those with dementia and an excellent resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals. http:www.alzheimersideas.com http://dementiaviews.blogspot.com