Questions

     When I was child I had the innocent thought that having a Grandmother living with you meant that days would be spent having tea and watching old movies.  However, in reality, it is not always that way.  My Grandmother instead spends her time trying to get out of bed, and we spend our time trying to keep her in bed.  Communication is also difficult, not much is understood on either side.  The only successful conversations held are between my Grandmother and her imaginary friends.  These consist mostly of children, however her mother and sister visit fairly often.  Eye contact also has become difficult, her eyes usually dance about the room unless it is one of her better days.

     My Grandmother does have her good days, and on those days she is able to hold decent conversation.  The trouble my family has encountered is knowing what to do when it is one of her bad days.  How do you comfort and keep someone company when they barely acknowledge your existence?  Do they know you are there but have lost the ability to communicate it?  Is there anything you can do to better their time here on earth?  These questions sometimes seem to have no answer, but I am determined to figure them out.

     It has surprised me that there is little written on the internet about keeping loved ones company when they have reached old age.  I would have thought there was someone who would wright down their experiences and ideas.  I have yet to check the library and I hope I will have luck there! I wish I had more to write about and something positive, but it has beens such a long week here with nothing exciting.  If my readers out there happen to know of books or websites that could be of help to my search for answers, please leave a comment!  Until next time, much thanks!