Her People

I’m a foreigner, though, I call her grandma. I sit with her, feed her, hold her hand, calm her, take walks with her, and used to care for her. But, my face will never be familiar and though my presence may be enough, it will never fully be comforting. She wants you, her people. You,…

Selfish or Selfless: Caring for the Elderly

You know them and just maybe you think of them once in a while. They are alive, or one of them still is. They raised you until you were weaned, helped develop your character, encouraged, and supported you, until you left the house. Or just maybe they didn’t; they were heartless, life sucking, and you…

Half Awake

I lay here in my dark bedroom listening to the sound of water, when metal shower curtain hooks scrap across a metal shower bar pulling me straight out of my dream state. Immediately, all I could say out loud in a whiny voice was, “Nooohoho!” It’s 3am…dementia is awake. It has no concept of time,…

Where Does She Go?

I sit with my grandmother often, a ready hand when she’s in need. I am a safe place when she is lonely, a conversation techie when questions arise, a chef satisfying her taste buds, a hugger in confusion, and an encourager of her independence. At 99-years old, she’s lived longest in this home, raised a…

Dementia’s Confusion

Dementia can be sad; I think most people see it that way. But, I choose to find it humorous, because who wants to be sad when you are spending time with someone losing their mind? So, even though most conversations sound like a broken record, it brings some good humor, not only to me, but…

Coloring Outside the Lines

You are a child of five years, reverting back to 1924. Your hair white with age, the same style as when your father cut it, as you have shown me in old photographs. Your sense of wonder is that of your youth, curious about every written word and repetitive verbiage you hear. But not just…

Adventures with Grandma

It’s with enthusiasm she scoots to the edge, her legs dangling inches from the pavement. She grabs her cane and prepares her frail bones to lift all four foot ten of herself out of the car; determined to stand on her own out in the wind and snow. She is driven and unprepared for what…

A Moment with Technology and One from The Greatest Generation

My 97 year-old grandmother reads the newspaper front to back and every piece of mail, catalog, and sales paper that comes to her door. She is quite the reader and one who is curious about today’s technology. As I sat in my room this afternoon, pounding away on my keyboard, my grandmother’s voice lingered down…