Dealing with Dementia (Caregiver Tips & Journal Prompts)

Explicit content warning

11/08/23 • 29 min

Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens

Dealing with a loved one’s dementia, or handling other difficult transitional times in our lives requires that we give ourselves some grace -- and create a formidable community of support. We may have to handle the logistics of moving our loved ones out of their home, arranging for care, managing finances, and caregiving. This is adulting with a capital “A.” Here are some inspirational tips and resources to help you handle this heavy load.

The most essential takeaway: feel however you feel and surround yourself with people who support all of the emotional states and stages that you will experience. Once you have settled into new routines, and hopefully made peace with this transitional time in your life, these people who make up your support system will become the little gems that you add to your gratitude list.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Have a listen, then connect with me at lettheverseflow.com to sign up for my newsletter and receive journal prompts and resources on creativity and

Poem: 792: the Memory Door

Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and have the courage to put it out into the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Songs in this episode: Endless Sleep by Lost Ghosts; Winning Streak by JeesGuy; Echoes of the Mind by Shimmer; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters
LTVF Season One Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.

Resources:

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care: Help for Family Caregivers

Journal prompts:

How has a loved one’s health crisis or transition changed the way you think about your life? How has it changed how you see yourself?
Write about a special memory of your loved one or a memento that reminds you of them, and consider how you can preserve and carry the good feelings these thoughts bring.
Who do you want to surround yourself with during this time in your life, and how are you making time for them?

Related Episodes: Sitting with Shitty Feelings; The Loved Ones We Carry

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Have a listen, then connect with me at lettheverseflow.com to sign up for my newsletter and receive journal prompts and resources on creativity and

Poem: 792: the Memory Door

Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and have the courage to put it out into the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Resources:

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care: Help for Family Caregivers

Journal prompts:

How has a loved one’s health crisis or transition changed the way you think about your life? How has it changed how you see yourself?
Write about a special memory of your loved one or a memento that reminds you of them, and consider how you can preserve and carry the good feelings these thoughts bring.
Who do you want to surround yourself with during this time in your life, and how are you making time for them?

Related Episodes: Sitting with Shitty Feelings; The Loved Ones We Carry

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Previous Episode

Compare Less | Grateful More

Comparison, especially comparing ourselves to the images we see on social media, can rob us of the ability to hold court with our personal strengths and abilities. We compare ourselves to a facade of perfection and find our lives lacking. While small amounts of comparison may help motivate us or provide a standard of sorts with which to reflect our growth, most times, it makes us feel less than. We’ve got better things to do. Listen in as I discuss some alternatives, all designed to help you bathe in the light of your achievements. You can grow faster and stronger from this positive place.

In this episode, I touch on:

Upward and downward social comparison theory
The negative effects of social comparison on self-esteem, mood, and mental health
Ways to reduce social media consumption with restorative and self-affirming activities like gratitude journaling, building supportive friends, and finding a creative, social network through in-person events.

Poem: Not a Redwood Tree
Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and have the courage to put it out into the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Songs in this episode: Quartz Crisis by Sam Barsh; Winning Streak by JeesGuy; The
Astronaut by Neon Beach; Uptown Shuffle by Lunareh; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

LTVF Season One Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.

Resources:

Social Comparison Theory in Psychology

5 Ways Meditation Is Like a Monet

BRIC MediaJournal Prompts:

What situations, people, or accomplishments have made me feel grateful today? Examine your list and take a few moments to connect to each grateful moment.
When I am mindful of gratitude, how does it color my mood and change my thinking?
Write about something that seems small or simple but adds to your life in big ways. Why are you grateful for that small thing?

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Next Episode

Build a Personal Growth Practice (with Creative Self-Care)

What do I mean by a personal growth practice? What are the components of self-growth and how do we build our capacity for it? Personal growth is not a one-and-done, it's a practice that we build over time and in stages. In this episode, we’ll think about where we are in the journey to knowing ourselves, dealing with our struggles, and taking those first steps to look for better days. Those better days start with single better moments. Topics covered:

Tapping into personal growth as a natural tendency that you can build into an everyday practice
Setting an intention for personal growth, and why it’s important to assess whether you are ready to grow. Are you at a stage where a growth mindset is possible?
Using meditation and self-talk/affirmations to set intentions for new habits that support personal growth
An outline of coping strategies and skills that can help divert our attention, engage our social/interpersonal sides, offer cognitive support, release tension, or help us through spirituality or by setting limits

Have a listen, then connect with me at lettheverseflow.com to sign up for my newsletter and receive journal prompts and resources on creativity and podcast episodes.

Poem: No Rush of Falling Leaves

Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and have the courage to put it out into the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Songs in this episode: Thank You by Demure; Winning Streak by JeesGuy; 432hz Crystal Meditation by Roze Sound; Fade by Nu Alkemi$t; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

Resources:

Self-Growth: Definition, Examples and Tips

10+ Coping Skills Worksheets for Adults and Youth

Why Growth Requires Struggle

Journal Prompts:

Am I ready to see the growth potential of a challenging situation or personal struggle? If not, where can I find motivation for personal growth?
Am I open to a growth mindset right now? What would that look like for me? If not, what healing needs to happen first to prepare me to move toward a growth mindset?
Write down two coping skills and strategies that you think could facilitate your personal growth. Then, jot down a simple plan to implement one of those coping strategies.

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com