This is basically a “re-blog” of a somewhat provocative posting yesterday, by Dr. Elaine Eshbaugh, a professor of gerontology. “Stuff You Only Whisper,” is about a conversation she had with a spousal caregiver. All credit to Dr. Eshbaugh. Her blog is called When Dementia Knocks.
CareGivingOldGuy thinks that this is a brave and well considered post. Some conversations are only meant for confidants, not to be shared even with the closest family member.
The OldGuy knows he has his own inner voice for self-talk, but learned long ago that maintaining a creditable silence limits strain on the vocal cords. To reassure readers acquainted with the family situation, the specific conversation in the “Whisper” post doesn’t pertain here, but frank discussions are important.
OldGuy does recognize that caregiving is sometimes managed by erecting a well-crafted facade, a personal Potemkin Village. Behind the facade, caregiving might be helped by sharing confidences, so OldGuy is empathetic and supports chats about this issue. Click on the title or “continue reading” to get to the whole post…
Stuff You Only Whisper
Last week, a caregiver told me something that she considered so horrible that she could only say it in a whisper. She told me about her husband and his Alzheimer’s journey. He had just moved from a memory care community to a nursing home. She wasn’t pleased with the care he was receiving. Their kids lived across the country and had stopped visiting. He spent … Continue reading
Whispering Willow Park in Shoreline, WA, brewbooks, flicker.com CC0 2.0
weeping willow, Seattle Japanese Garden, penga_librarian, flickr.com CC0 2.0
