June is Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month. Which is the perfect time to launch my brand new blogspot: The Candid Caregiver. I'm dedicating it to those facing the challenges of memory loss or brain injury. I promise to let you in on the things we caregivers only whisper about. The things we've learned not to say out loud in front of those we serve. The myth is that medical jargon somehow dulls the pain this hideous thief inflicts on its victims. But the longer I do this, the more I see the need for candor, and honesty and sharing techniques that work, at least for a while, before things change yet again (and they will).
I'm going to blog about the embarrassing things. The highs and lows. The family drama. The financial burdens. Because, let's face it: s#*! happens, and with Alzheimer's/Dementia, that could be true literally and metaphorically before you've had your first cup of coffee (insert innocent looking emoji with a slight grin).
So go ahead and laugh once in awhile and don't feel guilty about it. I get it, and I hope what I've learned over the years as an independent in-home caregiver will help equip you with some (slightly unorthodox) tools of the trade. And if I seem too irreverent for your taste, before you go, I'd like you to know that my humor is never intended to trivialize the seriousness of an Alzheimer's/Dementia EVER. I simply believe that you've got to work with what you've got, not what you wish you had. Look for the humor, it may just be sprinkled in between some of your most challenging days.
I hope you'll be back for my next few blogs: The Three T's of Good Communication. In the meantime, please pray for the cure and financially support The Alzheimer's Association https://www.alz.org/abam/ .
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