| Are you a Baby Boomer who is taking take of an | | | | moved to a senior campus four blocks from me, |
| elderly loved one? I am. And maybe you also | | | | and I was his main family caregiver. Funny thing, I |
| have dependent children. And/or have a job. I do. | | | | had just launched my web site about elderly |
| You’ve probably heard of “the Sandwich | | | | issues and had many years of experience |
| Generation?” | | | | working with seniors. Little did I know how much |
| When my father turned 93 ½, he woke up one | | | | that would now come into play for me. |
| morning and suddenly could hardly see. Everything | | | | Through the weeks and months, I learned |
| was very blurry (he’d had macular | | | | first-hand about making a Plan, legal and financial |
| degeneration for a few years but had had the | | | | checklists, caregiver duties, elderly activities and |
| eyeball shots and was doing OK). But as of that | | | | keeping him busy, how to deal with deaf-blind |
| morning he couldn’t drive, couldn’t read | | | | issues, independent living vs. assisted living. Lots. I |
| food labels, couldn’t get to the store, | | | | learned the delicate balance between assisting as |
| couldn’t read anything, couldn’t watch | | | | a caregiver and allowing independence and decision |
| TV, could hardly see his microwave. Plus, he was | | | | making for my father. About nurturing his dignity |
| totally deaf in one ear and had 50% hearing loss | | | | and self-esteem. |
| in the other. He didn’t know what to do. Up | | | | Caregiving could be seen as a burden, but the |
| until that morning, he had played 18 holes of golf | | | | joys and satisfaction of getting to know my |
| four times a week, cooked all his own meals with | | | | father in ways I never would have, have been |
| fresh food from scratch, drove his “younger | | | | special. I have made new memories with him that |
| friends” places because he was spryer than | | | | will live in me for the rest of my life, long after |
| they were, and lived in and maintained his own | | | | my father is no longer here. There is lots to |
| home. | | | | share. If you’d like some ideas that may help |
| He called my sister immediately, and we all rushed | | | | you, please visit our caring for the elderly page. |
| to get him from Arizona back up to Minnesota as | | | | And I’d love to hear your stories too! |
| soon as possible – within two weeks. He | | | | |