Online Zoom support group Monday 30th November
I managed to join on time for once (not that it matters if you’re late!) and the group were discussing masks, or rather the lack of people wearing them, in shops and hospitals. Are there really so many people with hidden disabilities or do people just not care about the regulations?
Carers Hub Lambeth ran an excellent Webinar on ‘Advance care planning’ which I had attended last week. I explained that you had no legal right to make decisions on someone’s behalf if they no longer had capacity even if you were married to them or were their children, so it was important to set up Lasting Powers of Attorneys. The www.gov.uk website has lots of information and you can complete the forms online and then register them for £82 (some reductions are available too). If you need help, I’ve done 6 so far, I add! Bell House has a film too, which is helpful:
In the background we can hear whistling of ‘the twelve days of Christmas’! One of the carers is being driven mad by it. Apparently, her husband does it all the time and likes drumming with his fingers too. Everyone agreed though that the last dementia singing group (is this where the song has come from?!) was great fun!
We have two new members of the group this week, who are both coming to terms with caring for someone who has dementia, although one says his wife is in complete denial and refuses to be tested. We all commiserate with him!
One member highly recommends the courses run by Dementia Carers Count – some are online due to COVID – which really helped them understand the disease.
Everyone’s journey will be different stresses someone, but we can all help each other.
We get an update on the incontinence problems one carer has to deal with. They have bought waterproof bed covers now and this has helped soak up accidents. Did you know you can buy a waterproof cover for a duvet too?!
One carer is realising that the timing of medication seems to affect her husband’s mobility and coordination. Saira, from Link Age advises speaking to the Parkinson’s nurse about this and someone else suggests speaking to the Pharmacist, who often have more specialist knowledge on how medications work than the GP.
Saira & Anne from Link Age wrap up the meeting by stressing to the new members that this is a very relaxed group – come and go if you need to! An established member says, ‘this is my lifeline every other week and a chance to speak to other people going through the same thing’ and I agree!