Six years. I couldn’t believe it when I opened my Pink Power
Slippers blog and saw the date on the last post. How could six years have gone
by and I didn’t think to add a blog post in all of that time. I knew the
answer. Because during that time I was the primary caregiver for my elderly
mom, taking care of her and her many needs as her health deteriorated. The
physical infirmities were significant, compounded by the mental health issues
from the dementia taking over her life.
The physical and mental took their toll and her body succumbed in 2017.
The several years that have followed since then have often
been difficult, and one year was perhaps the most challenging I have ever
experienced in my 63 years on earth. I took to the internet to research
caregiving issues and felt somewhat better when I saw there was something
called “Caregiver Stress Syndrome” and it wasn’t uncommon among people like me.
Like me. One person taking care of an elderly parent supported
by some home care resources, nursing home medical staff, outside doctors and
even “senior care” specialists wearing many hats. And good friends and family.
Not unlike me, however, were the many caregivers in similar
situations who found themselves mostly alone to deal with the complicated
issues of financing that accompanied the myriad of medical issues.
So I have decided I’d like to help caregivers who find
themselves caring for an elderly parent or spouse, or perhaps a child or sibling, by sharing my personal experiences and
identifying the growing number of resources available to help.
And I’m going to do it wearing my PINK POWER SLIPPERS! If you
read the first entry of this blog, you’ll find the story of the slippers, which
were purchased in a bin at the local grocery story. At that time I was part of
a caregiving team for a good friend who was battling brain tumors. Tough day?
Wear the slippers and feel powerful. Scary medical time? Wear the slippers and
find some confidence. Need to laugh? Yes, wear the slippers. Certainly not empirical evidence that they worked, but
hey, I believed they worked!
Doesn’t every caregiver need a pair of pink power slippers? Stay
tuned!
