Pay It Forward Friday My dad has been living in his new home for two weeks. During this time I have visited him ten times providing a lot of time to get to know his neighbors. I want to share a few of their stories There is Sweet Dona who reminds me so much of my mom. A petite little lady whose smile just lights up the room. Her husband, a retired police officer, visits her often and they sit outside on a park bench, holding hands and talking about life. Don is a happy man who walks the halls, greeting everyone with a huge smile, a handshake and a wish for a wonderful day. I met his wife one day and she offered me her best wishes and support that she has no qualms that dad will get great care and attention there. Suzanne is one of dads favorite people. She is an artist and taught briefly at University of California Berkeley. She is a great conversationalist with a witty and dry sense of humor. They talk about art and music and world events. She is a great ambassador for the residents. Suzanne has Parkinsons Disease which is causing some of her memory loss Then there is Wally who is a frail man in a wheelchair. When I first met him Dad and Erin and I shared lunch at his table. He seemed sad and depressed and Erin and I felt bad for him. But several days later I saw him with his adorable wife and he was a changed man. He smiled, giggled and was so happy. Wally was an LAPD detective, a U.S. Marshal, and an investigator for the LA District Attorney. What a great career he had. There are retired teachers, business men and women, musicians, blue collar laborers, homemakers, and a wealth of other careers represented by these wonderful people who are all at different stages in the progression of the disease. Alzheimers and other forms of dementia affect everyone in different ways. For some they revert to their younger years when they lived with their parents. Some women become young mommas again and need to care for babies (dolls) that are there just for that purpose. Others are strictly in the moment with a retention span of the same. Some are angry that they have been handed this horrible fate and express this by lashing out...cant say I blame them. And then there are people who lose all filters and just blurt out whatever pops into their head. All of these people had lives, careers, family, friends, homes, hobbies, and loves. They cant help what has befallen them and they deserve our compassion, understanding, and love. Just a smile, a hug, a compliment, a handshake, a wink, or a sit down to listen to their stories is worth gold to these beautiful people So make an opportunity to get to know someone with dementia and Pay It Forward.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 13:54:31 +0000
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