Gender
Female
Location
Linden, MI
Birthday:
August 3
When Your Massage Client Has Dementia https://medium.com/@everflowing"
Providing massage for dying persons presents multi level challenges to me as a practitioner. One of these special challenges is working with persons experiencing dementia. One of the blog posts that has been archived earlier is titled The Lost Pause. https://medium.com/@everflowing"…
Check out my new blog page https://medium.com/@everflowing/touch-awareness-beatrice-2c8d46d375c2
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Those who companion suffering daily, such as hospice nurses and volunteers, will surely appreciate this beautiful work. With 62 original art collages by Rashani Réa, five beautiful chapters by Kathy Douglas, and a foreword by Jean Watson, this exquisite book is a peaceful refuge for contemplation, inquiry, reflection and inspiration for those who traverse the joys and sorrows of nursing.
Kathy Douglas, RN, MPH-HA is a nationally recognized nurse leader, filmmaker and entrepreneur.
Rashani Réa is a prolific artist and musician, a creatrice of sanctuaries and a respected spiritual mentor.
“This is a beloved book and beyond a book. It is an evocative, poetic, ecstatic, and inspirited sacred, experiential calling. A calling to you--YES, YOU.”
— Jean Watson, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, Living Legend (AAN)
“Those who companion suffering daily need to turn inward to metabolize what they have witnessed. This exquisite book, filled with beautiful images and poetic wise words, is the inspiration and support needed to grow a wise heart.”
— Frank Ostaseski, founder and director of the Metta Institute and author of The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully
“In this unique time of the COVID-19 pandemic, this book should be considered a tribute to the tremendous courage being displayed by nurses around the world. There is much wisdom conveyed throughout by those who have been there serving others with such grace.”
— Greg Schneider President, HVA, co-author of The Changing Face of Hospice Volunteering in Hospice and Palliative Care
Comments
HELLO, SUSAN! NICE TO HAVE YOU ONBOARD.
Greg, I love your comment about the patient asking you to quit talking. I have had patients that see right through anyone who tries to be nice to them just because they are in hospice. A recent patient who is 88 just went white water rafting last summer and is devastated to be bed bound. I have learned more about life from her in one visit than I have from others during my entire life. She told me that while she was laying in her bed that, "I'm not sick! I'm just lazy as hell". She said so many people come to the house the day she was admitted into hospice that you'd think there was going to be a wedding! She calls her respite volunteers "babysitters" that she doesn't need. She wants to go out dancing, but the family probably hid her clothes. She's spunky and adorable. She asked me why so many people were fussing over her and I said, because so many people love you. I won't repeat her reply.
Much to learn from her.
Welcome Susan! I am going through the exact same thing with my father -- it seems that the harder I try to make sure he is happy, the less I accomplish. I live in Marquette and my father lives in Grand Rapids. The distance is devastating to me. I wish I could be there with him on a daily basis, but not able to do so.
I would love to know more about you. Tell me about yourself.
Take care and hope to hear from you soon.
Dear Susan,
Welcome to HCF. My name is Frances Shani Parker, and I live in Detroit, MI. I can certainly understand your frustration with moving to another city to become a caregiver. If your father is in hospice, of course you are entitled to support services. As a hospice volunteer you are also in a position to be referred for assistance and other resources.
However, i also urge you to contact your local Area Agency on Aging. They are government funded. Caregivers can find a wide variety of support services available to them through this agency. Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) are located in just about every state. They can be found by calling the National Eldercare Locater at 800-677-1116 or going online at www.eldercare.gov.
Some of the services they provide are legal assistance, respite care, home health aide care, Meals on Wheels, transportation, and help with chores and repairs. Many of the services do not have an income requirement, so it’s best to check to see what’s available. Two helpful Internet resources for caregivers are AARP, which has extensive information, and the National Alliance for Caregiving, a non-profit coalition of national organizations focusing on issues of family caregiving.
I certainly wish you the best.
Sincerely,
Frances Shani Parker
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog (You can also find caregiving info here.)
http://hospiceandnursinghomes.blogspot.com/
Dear Susan:
Welcome to the HCF. Does your dad have terminal illness? If so, is he under hospice care...doesn't sound like it if the doctor is telling you to back off.
As a long-time hospice volunteer caregiver, I have found that individuals that are facing the end of their life often need their space. The normal day-to-day activities that we take for granted and assume to be normal become a distraction. I once had a gentleman that I was sitting with at the bedside ask me "Could you just stop talking?" He just wanted me sit with him and say and do nothing.
While doing nothing may not feel productive or compassionate, it is. Doing nothing and being in silence is uncomfortable for most but not for those who are very ill or dying.
Go with your dad wherever he is and I think you will find less frustration.
Blessings,
Greg Schneider
HCF Creator
President, HVA