One of the loveliest aspects of becoming a parent has been taking our daughter on various trips to meet her extended family. On one such trip we were given a gift, not of a teddy or a baby outfit, but…
Tag: emotions
Supporting a person with anxiety
Anxiety is commonly mentioned as one of a raft of symptoms linked to the development and progression of dementia. It is thought that dementia can both exacerbate anxiety in those who have a history of being anxious, and also bring…
Remember me
My dad’s legacy Since 2012, this slide is how I have finished many a presentation at a conference or event. It’s a simple philosophy, but a highly effective one at helping audiences remain grounded in the most vital aspect of…
Happy birthday to my dad
Today would have been my dad’s 88th birthday. By sheer coincidence, this blog is also my 150th on D4Dementia. How I have managed to bring these two milestones together I have absolutely no idea, but it makes this blog post extra special.…
A moving experience
Moving into a new home is always stressful. I spent most of 2014 trying to move house, and I can testify to why it is generally considered to be one of the most stressful life events, alongside bereavement, divorce, major…
Inspiring end-of-life care
When I had my abstract, ‘End-of-life care: A very personal story’ accepted for oral presentation at the 2014 Alzheimer Europe Conference in Glasgow, I honestly never expected that it would receive a standing ovation from the audience. My presentation was…
Humanity in care – The role of touch
One of the most controversial elements of care provision is touch. It has a discomfort associated with it for many professionals, and even family members can have deep reservations about touch. It can be associated with abuse, both by ignoring…
A precious gift
I’ve often thought about what the most precious gift is that you could give a person with dementia in the absence of a cure. I’ve written before about the importance of love, but I suspect that if I asked a…
Getting to the heart of unmet needs
Interpreting what someone with advancing dementia needs can often feel like a bit of a guessing game. If the person with dementia is struggling to articulate their needs and wishes in a way that the intended recipient of their communication…
Carer’s questions – What about my emotions?
Welcome to the third of my seven ‘mini’ blogs for UK Carers Week 2014. As regular readers of this blog know, I cared for my father for 19 years during his vascular dementia. For the majority of that time, however, I never considered…