In the beginning, I
was sure there must be some kind of how-to manual, something to tell me, “You
can do this. I did it. Here’s how.” But I found most caregiving information was
written by and/or for professionals, and didn’t address the special needs of
those who cared for family members in their homes. I felt isolated and alone,
certain one day Mom’s needs would finally be too great and I’d be powerless
against Alzheimer’s.
Challenges and
questions—my days were filled with them. But gradually I realized I was also
seeing answers, ways of doing the things that had to be done. That day I
dreaded never came. Challenge after challenge, I found solutions.
I write today to
share those solutions. I call them miracles—ways of solving problems I never
could have come up with alone. I also write about the positive mindset that can
allow other caregivers to find their own answers, unique to their situation and
the person they care for. In brief, that mindset is this: If we feel a
situation is impossible to deal with, we won’t bother looking for a solution.
But if we believe an answer exists, if we expect to find one, we’ll keep our
eyes and mind open and working. We’ll find what we need.
After Mom died, I
waited a long time to begin my blog and the book on which the blog is based.
Like most caregivers, I was slow to process the long journey through
Alzheimer’s. But now the writing gives me peace. It reinforces my conviction
that, with the Lord’s help, Dad and I did a good job. We kept Mom present in
her own life and with us, really with us, for as long as we possibly could.
Those who comment on
my blogposts often say they appreciate my willingness to write about all of
Alzheimer’s, the parts most people know about and the parts that even some
caregivers don’t want to discuss.Readers are glad to see practical “how-to”
information in the posts, about daily realities like incontinence,
hygiene,crisis behavior. And they appreciate hearing about caregiving from the
perspective of someone like themselves, someone who took on the job as an
untrained family member or friend.
Have I helped
caregivers? Yes, I believe I have, by giving them the help I searched for and
telling them what I so desperately wanted to hear: “You can do this. I did it.
Here’s how.”
About the Author
Kathleen Brown is a writer and speaker who lives and works in her home state of Texas. Her experience with Alzheimer's began when she was suddenly thrust into the role of caregiver for her mom. Desperate for help and encouragement, she found virtually no information about at-home caregiving. So she stepped into the Alzheimer's road with no map or guidebook. Now, by means of her blog, Alzheimer's: Hope and Help for Caregivers, and her book, A Time for Miracles - Finding Your Way Through the Wilderness of Alzheimer's, she shares her caregiving experience with others who, though unprepared and inexperienced, care at home for a loved one with Alzheimer's.
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