Self-care is a gift to our children

Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you’ve got to start young.

~ Fred Astaire

I can't say it's been easy, but I continue to show up to help my mother, who has now been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, in a loving way.

Her memory has deteriorated quickly since her previous cognitive assessment in 2023.

Mom had always been sharp with numbers. Three years ago, she could easily count backwards by 7. This time, when asked by a geriatrician what 100-7 equalled, she thought carefully about it and then confidently reported the answer: 77.

She has been wandering at night. The medical advice we were given was not to leave her alone.

Needless to say, this has been very disruptive to our family. Fortunately, mom has five children who are stepping in to help, and we have a personal support worker coming in to assist with bathing her.

Experiencing this motivates me to be more diligent in prioritizing my health. Reframing self-care as a gift to my children helps.