The Alzheimer’s Association of Michigan is Running Free Virtual Conferences
If you are looking for some caregiver topics that are relevant for you caring for someone with Dementia and other conditions, these kinds of virtual conferences can offer you a lot of great topics and content to learn from.
https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Alzheimer-rsquo-s-Association-nbsp-hosting-free-15466448.php
Intergenerational Friendships Are Often Most Rewarding
This is an article in Vogue UK and is a great representation on why having peers / mentors / friends outside of our generational bubbles will make us more holistically healthy. The author clearly calls out the importance of the “been there done that” aspect of older adult friends to help provide a calming influence on her life. But the other side is that we as older adults can really appreciate hearing a very different perspective or appreciate the innocence and courage of our younger friends - often not biased by previous learnings.
The balance of the friendship means that we are constantly learning from each other - and developing a much stronger respect for “others” as we learn more about our intergenerational friendships.
If Waiting for a Thank You As A Caregiver, You May Want to Rethink
Many who I have spoken to in caregiver roles don’t want to complain for fear of sounding ungrateful, or petty, but the facts are that caregiving isn’t always peachy. In fact in some cases it is thankless and tireless work as the person you are caregiver for someone who can no longer be the same genial person they always knew.
The key is to remember to try to not take a lack of gratitude or appreciation as an overt sign of disrespect. There can be SOOOOO many reasons a person is no longer the “same” as they once were. They are human beings often being confronted with various challenges all at once - loss of independence, loss of abilities, changes to living conditions, affronts to their own perceptions about who they are, etc. I like the way this article mentions that - it’s not “permission” so to speak, but rather a recognition of the why to potentially reframe how you approach the situation.
