Advice sought

[sarafina]

I am a qualified nurse and live with my Mum,I have noticed her gradual decline cognitively, repetitiveness and generally the loss of my dearest friend. Most times I am patient and deal well with the daily tasks of work and managing her care. But am scared as to where it will all end, I have sisters and brothers,( no help really)and sometimes I feel like screaming at the futility of trying to have a conversation or explaining everyday life. What coping mechanisms to other people have?

 

[Canadian Joanne]

Hi Sarafina and welcome to TP.

For me, one thing that helped me was to realize that trying to keep my mother and reality connected wasn't working. I (mostly) learned to go with the flow and not impose reality on her. My trying to do that only upset and agitated her and in turn me.

Has your mother been formally diagnosed? Is she on medications of any kind? Are you still working? Do you get any outside help? Sorry for all the questions but they help to fill in your circumstances.

 

[jenniferpa]

Hi and welcome to Talking Point.

For a lot of us, finding this forum has been the way we cope. Knowing that there is someone out there who has 1) been in the same position 2) knows exactly what it's like and 3) will listen without judging is immensely valuable.


Sometimes I think it can almost be harder if you are a "professional" in the field, if only because you feel you should be coping better than you are. The reality, though, is that it's very, very different when it's your own family.