Tag Archives: aging parents

Your Caregiving Sister

Posted on November 21, 2018 by Barbara McAfee

Just this morning, I was thinking about my cousin Lynne. My aunt – her mother – died last week after more than seven years of Alzheimer’s. Lynne has been there every step of the way. Her mother was housed in … Continue reading →

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Wheels

Posted on October 4, 2018 by Barbara McAfee

Today my brother and sister-in-law are picking up Mom’s car. They will clean it up and sell it in the coming weeks.  I don’t know why this is making me so tender, but it is. Mom hasn’t driven her 2001 … Continue reading →

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Calamity Management

Posted on September 6, 2018 by Barbara McAfee

I’ve entered into a new phase of caregiving with my sweet 94-year-old mama. I’m calling it calamity management. Her memory is faltering more and more these days, so I’m trying to remember what I’m forgetting she forgot. Or something like … Continue reading →

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York Peppermint Patties and the Art of Kindness

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Barbara McAfee

My mother is nearly 92 years old. We spend a lot of time together out in the world now that she has stopped driving. Once a statuesque 5’10-1/2” tall, gravity and arthritis have left her bent over. She uses a … Continue reading →

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Conrad’s Gift

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Barbara McAfee

It is a common Native American practice to consider the impact of our actions on seven generations. Seven. It’s hard for us to conceive that kind of time, especially if we are the descendants of immigrants. “A long time ago” … Continue reading →

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This Is When I Think of You – A Meditation for Fellow Caregivers

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Barbara McAfee

Yes, you. My fellow caregiver. I think of you most often as I walk out of Mom’s senior living place. Perhaps it is 9:45 p.m. on a frigid winter night. I worked all day and then drove the half-hour journey … Continue reading →

Posted in caregiving, death and dying, hospice | Tagged , , | 4 Comments