Judith Allen Shone's Blog: From: Accepting the Gift of Caregiving Blogsite

Transitioning Through Grief

After My Love passed, I spent more than a year alone, deep in thought about life, about My Love and caring for another, and for myself.

Can I Help a Caregiver?

What does a caregiver's life feel like?Do they need help? Can you and I help? If so, how?

Mother’s Day

For those whose mothers or mother figures or grandmothers in their life have memory loss, Mother’s Day might bring on anxieties about how you’ll handle it, what to do, how to behave.

Ask, and ask again

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED? …if your loved one had concerns about an activity, going somewhere, meeting someone?  If we ask them questions when such situations arise, misunderstandings can be avoided, fears can be addressed, and plans made, or discontinued, before the activity, depending on the discoveries. It is time well spent to ask questions before...Continue reading »

Loneliness in caregiving

Not long after retirement and following My Love’s diagnosis of COPD, I saw red flags and realized caregiving was in my future. I had to investigate what that role entailed. By two years later when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I recognized the partnership life I had committed to was unfolding a bit differently than...Continue reading »

Podcasts for caregivers

Do you listen to podcasts? Many care partners for those with dementia discover the 'way out of desperation' is to seek out a variety of resources by getting help. And HELP IS ON THE WAY!!

Reflecting on grief

Almost two years ago my ten-year journey caring for My Love ended. At last, I could take time to process my grief from losing the one I adored.I took that time as rehabilitation for myself.

Confidence in caregiving

"I did it!"What a great feeling those words bring up...we often feel our own confidence bursting at the seams just at the success of anyone who realizes they have reached a level of self-assurance.

Ambiguous Loss – related to caregiving

My experience with grief was the biggest surprise of my entire caregiving journey, maybe in life itself. As with Alzheimer’s, and just like caregiving, I had had little experience with grief.  When My Love was diagnosed, I was not prepared to become his caregiver. Each day, as his memory declined, I had to keep learning to...Continue reading »

Overcoming Resentment

When a caregiver begins to feel disappointment as they see the the life that never happened fading, or the future seems grim because of this unanticipated circumstance, resentment can show up unexpectedly.