"You are quite a walking wonder." 824 am 2023 10 11

 

Mom starts her day on her own terms. Listening to opera. New drawings on her display board. Her clock in easy view as she counts the seconds to measure her time doing her exercises.

Each day there are small, immeasurable changes to Mom's condition as we let nature take its course. Mom is philosophical about these changes and takes them with good humour. This is the thing about Mom. She is a model for making the best of a situation and staying the course. These are the terms of Mom's day to day life here at home.

I saw a headline on a post about caregiving for frail elders and dementia patients. It read, 

A Family Caregivers Death Watch

I had to get moving onto other morning tasks but the words "death watch" stuck with me. I understand very well the tension and uncertainty of caring for a frail elder whose life will likely end on my watch. However, to frame my experience with my Mom, in her final days, months and even years, would be unbearable. Mom's life will end when she is ready to go. In the meantime, we follow her lead and live each day on our own terms.

"What we can't do alone we can do together."

"Making the best of things."

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