Caring.com wants your input as we improve our site posted by Cindy57 @ 02:45 PM May 24, 2008

Cindy57 — Sat, 24 May 2008 14:45:34 -0000

Bonbask,

It is hard...Our relationships with the people that we care for whether it be parents or grandparents goes from them being the strong ones and caring for us to us being the strong ones and caring for them..

I describe taking care of my grandmother as at 1st she was a grandmother, sometimes like a mother than also at times a friend but a good portion of the time I was her mother..

All of the things I did as a mother for my children I eventually had to do for my grandmother...I had to bath her, clean her bottom, feed her, help her get dressed and even wipe her nose..

Its hard on both the caretaker and the person being cared for to get used to these role changes..

You need to find a way to rid yourself of the guilt of wanting time alone...When our children were small and we needed time alone we didn't feel guilty about it and its the same with the people we are caretakers for..

I took care of my grandmother for 21 years and it became my normal..

My advice would be that if your dad is able to stay alone for short periods of time, take advantage of making time for yourself because a time could come when he can't be left alone and finding time to be alone will become more difficult..

My grandmother passed away and I was the only one (as usual) by her side and I felt privileged to be with her in her last moments..I miss her horribly now because she was such a huge part of my life for so long that I wondered what my purpose was after her death..

You are a very special person to take this responsibilty on and somehow I know that your dad feels that way about you too..

He will understand if you need some time alone..Maybe you could have a heart to heart and try to set up a time every week that is just for you..

If he is anything at all like my grandmother he will get used to that and it will become part of a routine for both of you..

Caring.com wants your input as we improve our site posted by Bonbask @ 04:47 PM May 13, 2008

Bonbask — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:47:29 -0000

I just found this site today and was interested as I am the caregiver of my 99 year old father. He lives with me and has for a number of years. He is still in good health, but his memory is going. I know it is not alzheimers, but plain old age. Though my sister tries to help, her social life seems to be more important then dad and I have all the care. I work a full time job, come home and have to cook dinner and make sure dad is ok. The weekends are stressful as he wants to go everywhere with me. Sometimes I just want to be alone but I then feel guilty.

Caring.com wants your input as we improve our site posted by Lolly @ 07:14 PM April 10, 2008

Lolly — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:14:02 -0000

In the next week, Caring.com is looking for caregivers' feedback on a few new feature ideas.

We are looking for people caring for parents with Alzheimer's or Dementia and/or other critical health issues.

People in the SF bay area would be especially appreciated but we can do research by phone so any location is ok. Let us know you're interested so we can schedule a time to talk.

If this isn’t you but you’re interested in helping out, we’d love to hear from you too. Send us a note and we’ll contact you about future studies.

Also, you don’t have to wait for us to ask, we’re always interested in your feedback. We read each piece that comes in. Use our feedback form.

Thanks to all of you for your interest and participation in Caring.com

Recent Posts in 'Caring.com wants your input as we improve our site' | Caring.com

Caring.com wants your input as we improve our site posted by Cindy57 @ 02:45 PM May 24, 2008

Caring.com wants your input as we improve our site posted by Bonbask @ 04:47 PM May 13, 2008

Caring.com wants your input as we improve our site posted by Lolly @ 07:14 PM April 10, 2008