Lunch and "The Club"

Today the visiting homemaker's group held a caregivers' luncheon.Respite care was provided across the hall at "The Club",as their adult daycare is called.It is somehow easier for those attending to accept going to a club,rather than a daycare ...gentle on the ego and less threatening . It was a trial run for Mother,who has been approved for one day a week there . All went well . The day began with interactive games,then lunch and followed by singing...loud and lusty...echoing down the halls to where we met.
Our luncheon included information from a RN,specializing in dementia . She covered the stages involved,daily life and its challenges and coping skills. The thirty people in attendance represented different levels of caregiving...some in the early stages,with greater competance in the patient...some towards the end,with nursing home care and all of us in between . Most of those attending were women,although the two men were very dear in caring for their wives (one even made sure her hair was dyed as usual,knowing it had been important to her ). Most were caring for spouses,with just we few seeing to our mothers.
It was a valuable investment of time,as much for the information given ,as for the interaction with other caregivers. It is a club of our own...one in which we would never have chosen membership. There is,however,comfort from being with others in similar circumstances and a chance to strengthen them with wisdom gained from passing a phase they have not yet encountered . We are not alone...there is hope...and we will help each other through it. Good stuff.