A Home Physical Therapist Helped Us Learn What to Do

Whoever robs his father of his mother, And says, "It is no transgression," The same is companion to a destroyer. Proverbs 28:24 NKJV

 Dad resided in the group home, because the doctor said that he required more medical care than we could provide. We were blessed that this group home was smaller and homey, which allowed for a smooth transition from living in our home to living in the group home.

 We wanted to take Dad out of state to visit his cousins. With Dad's Parkinson's Disease, we had an extremely difficult time getting Dad into and out of the car, because his body would become rigid and wouldn't bend to sit in the car seat.

 We were very fortunate that Dad's physical therapist that made home visits was kind enough to show us how to be transfers from Dad's wheelchair to the car and back again. I think that practicing this made it easier for my husband and I to feel comfortable in taking Dad on such a long trip. Dad had a wonderful time on the trip seeing the scenery and his family!
Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Video: Wheelchair to Car Transfer
By: VCU Occupational Therapy, School of Allied Health Professions via You Tube 

Relinquishing the Keys to the Car

The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. Proverbs 29:15 NKJV 

 Dad has Macular Degeneration. The doctor told my dad that he could drive safely in the area where we live. Unfortunately, in that Dad has Parkinson's Disease, his legs don't work right, which can be detrimental while driving when you are trying to put on the brakes. To top that off, Dad had moved here a matter of months ago, so any driving he would do near our house was unfamiliar to him.

 Dad was reluctant to give up his driver's license. He was very headstrong on the matter, which is very common with seniors, because it gives them a sense of mobility and independence.  I didn't want to argue with my dad, but knew he wasn't safe on the roads, so all I could do is pray. 

Fortunately for us, Christ heart our prayer and one day my dad called my son, unbeknownst to us, and asked him to come get his car. I have been so very blessed that so many times when I didn't know what to do in a situation, Christ resolved it. It would have been nice if I had trusted He would take care of things, because it would have saved me many hours of worry and stress on matters. Christ has gotten us through any problematic situations throughout the time of caring for my Dad.

Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.



Oh, No! It's Green and Dad Won't Eat!

Correct your son, and he will give you rest; Yes, he will give delight to your soul. Proverbs 29:17 NKJV

 Oh, No! It's Green and Dad won't eat is all too real, although it sounds pretty funny. My dad, the one who made me sit down and eat broccoli, cabbage and other healthy vegetables, against my will, now won't eat any of these.

I guess that wouldn't be too terrible, but he won't eat anything on his plate if something green is on it. So, if he were to have Chicken Fried Steak, his favorite food, he wouldn't eat anything on that plate if they put a green vegetable on it. When we take Dad out to eat, I have to look for substitutions like mashed potatoes and gravy, which most restaurants will allow you to do.

 Fortunately, at Dad's Veteran's Home, they have a list of foods the Veteran doesn't like, so they don't even put these foods on his plate. That's wonderful, unto itself, that they would cater to the likes and dislikes of so many different Veterans. I've been very impressed!

Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Tips Video: Managing Caregiver Stress
By: Soundoptions via You Tube

 





Developing a Plan for Dad's Weight

There is a generation that curses its father, And does not bless its mother. There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, Yet is not washed from its filthiness. Proverbs 30:11-12 NKJV

Dad was hoping to go to a family graduation, but it depended if he were strong enough. Part of that related to whether he gained some weight back. I met with the nurse at the Veteran's Home again to discuss my dad's eating, further.

 I had been prayerfully contemplating this since the first conversation. I got to thinking that Dad's weight loss may be related to his wife's passing a few months ago. I shared this with the nurse and she agreed that would explain the weight loss. 

 I told her that I didn't want to see my dad dwindle down to 128 like he had some time ago, but she had shared with me that although he had lost 25-30 pounds, he had gained about ten pounds back.

 I asked if they couldn't give my dad the special ice cream nutritional supplements instead of the liquid ones. We jointly agreed that if he continues to gain weight back on his ground diet with the nutritional supplements, we would leave him on that food plan. If my dad kept loosing weight, I wanted to invoke the waiver for Dad to be put back on a whole food plan, with all meat cut in small pieces. She was very supportive of that. 

 Not only that, she was supportive about Dad's being able to go to the graduation being in God's very capable hands and we'd just prepare for it, unless it becomes evident that's not a possibility.

Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.
 
Caregiving Tips Video: Caregiver Stress
By: Alabama's Aging and Disabilities Resources via You Tube
 
 
 
 
y: 

Food Discussions

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 NKJV

I got a call from a nurse at Dad's Veteran's Home. She wanted to put Dad on liquid supplements, since he's lost some weight over the last couple of months. I explained to her that Dad doesn't like pureed or ground food and had gotten down to 128 pounds 1 1/2 to 2 years ago. I prayerfully contemplated this for some time. I knew that I would loose Dad at some point, but wasn't willing to watch him starving to death, so I signed a wavier to put him back on whole foods. When started eating the whole foods, he started gaining weight again. Of course, someone had to cut up any pieces of meat to about the size a three year old could eat. The waiver was releasing them from liability should my dad choke or aspirate due to eating whole foods instead of pureed or ground.

 After a bout of pneumonia about a year ago, the hospital's Speech Pathologist put Dad on a pureed diet, which he hates. She actually wanted to have a feeding tube inserted, but I knew Dad wouldn't approve of that. He got stronger enough back at the Veteran's Home that he got to go on mechanical ground food. Although he wasn't totally tickled with it, it was definitely better than pureed. I want to tell you that the Veteran's Home goes out of their way to make ground food as appetizing as possible. They take the actual pieces of food and grind them up, so they taste the same except for the consistency. Then, they cover it with gravy to disguise it. Dad loves gravy, but more so on biscuits.

 He had been holding his own, but I got the call I mentioned above saying they were going to start adding a liquid supplement to his diet. I basically told her all the things I mentioned above and made plans to meet with her the next day when I went to see my dad.

Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Dad's Giving to Others

He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor. Proverbs 22:9 NJKV

 Years ago, when we used to go visit Dad in another state, he would tell how upset he was about the people who would sneak up to his house and take the oranges and lemons off of his tree. At first, I thought that he had so many that it didn't hurt anything, but later realized that it's the principal of the thing! He wanted people to be forthright and honest the same way that he is.

 I was pleased to find out that he and his wife were actually very generous with their oranges and their lemons. They would take big boxes of them to their local Senior Center, so they might share in the bounty of the fruits of my dad's labors.

 My dad was so proud of those oranges and lemons. The oranges grew on that tree year round, which is very unusual. Usually, they ripen in the winter time, but there would be ripe oranges on his tree even when we came to visit them in the summers. The lemons also grew year round, although that's not normally the case. Dad's lemons were so big that they looked like grapefruit. My dad is a very generous man, but humble. He didn't tell us about sharing them with the Senior Center for a long time. I'm so proud of him!

Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Video: Seniors Caring About Seniors
By: ShawTV Edmonton, Val Dash, Ross Brander, Jessica, Ken Common via You Tube



Saddened as I Saved the Post Formats to Draft

Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. Proverbs 30:5-6 NKJV

On this blog, I generally have the post format ready to go and save them as drafts for times when I have enough time to write a post and schedule it to come out some time in the future. I had run out of the draft post formats where I have a Bible verse or two related to being a parent or advice from God on child rearing. (Actually, the one today, is just more a reminder for me, as a Christian blogger.) The last few days, I have been skimming through the Psalms and through Proverbs, noting verses that I could use on the A Christian Caregiver post formats that I create ahead.

 I have added all these posts and saved them to draft, but found I was extremely sad. I'm trying to be prayerful about all of this. I think it has to do with Dad's wife recently passing. It triggers the realization that I quite often push to the back of my mind, that there will be a time that my dad is going to pass, as well. There will be a time, hopefully a long time in the future, where I will be writing the A Christian Caregiver posts and my dad will have passed, too, I will be writing from memory.

 I have known for the three and a half years, since my dad moved to my area, so we could help him with his health issues, that this is an inevitable reality. I still feel so sad, because the thoughts I have pushed to the back of my mind, reality has come to the forefront again, which it does from time to time. This time, it makes me sadder, because I am still grieving the loss of my dad's wife, but know how much I will truly miss my dad, although I count on him being in a better place, without pain, where his feet work or it doesn't matter, a place where he is at peace with the Lord. 
Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Video: Depression in Old Age
By: Dr. Graham Stokes, Bupa Health UK via You Tube


Surprised, but Pleased!

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 NKJV

 We broke the news to my 90 year old Dad that his wife had passed away. My husband saw him the day we shared this sad news and again the next day. The night we returned home, I got a text from my daughter-in-law that she, my son, and grandson were going to visit my dad the next day. My son has been very close to his grandfather all these years. I was so proud of them to drive all those miles to be there to support their grandpa in his time of grief!

 The next morning, I got a phone call from my daughter. She was asking me if I wanted to join her and the kids in going to visit her grandfather. Of course, I said yes! She didn't even know that her brother and family were going to be there, too, when she called and asked. She just wanted to go and be a support to her grandfather. I shouldn't have been so surprised when they both independently decided to go visit their grandfather. I couldn't have been more pleased and so was he!!!

 My dad enjoyed having his two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren there for moral support. When we got there, Dad was playing dominoes with my son. My dad used to be an avid domino player and still is the champ! Although my dad looked to still be deep in thought, he smiled and enjoyed all the time together with his family. For a little while, he had some joy in his aching heart.

Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Video: Segment on Elderly Depression
By: 4 HD New York Nightly News, Roslyn Auberbach, Phyllis Johnson, Charlotte Dell, Dr. Zachary Palace via You Tube

The Day After the Sad News

My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3: 11-12 NKJV

We had shared the sad news with Dad, that his wife had passed away. He wanted to fly there to help, but I told him that he couldn't fly there, because of his oxygen and he got somewhat frustrated with me. The more I thought about it, I realized it, Dad was responding to the news and I was telling him logical things that kept him from being able to be there.

I prayerfully contemplated all of this that night and realized that to my dad, I was putting roadblocks in his being able to be there and that's why he responded that way.  I realized that he just needs time to deal with his grief of the loss of his wife of 49 years and to give him space to do that.

 My husband and I talked and I told him that I didn't want to talk about her passing unless Dad brought it up. I also told him that I wanted to sit in the back and asked if he would sit by Dad as they watched TV, which is what Dad always prefers. It's a guy thing! 

Dad was deep in thought when we got there and didn't really want to watch TV. My husband didn't hear that and suggested that we turn on a cooking competition that my dad enjoys watching. Dad was able to get lost in the show and just had the space and time to process his loss. Fortunately for me, God gave me the feeling that's what Dad needed more than my talking to him or asking if he was O.K.  My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3: 11-12 NKJV

Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Video: Healing from the Loss of a Spouse/Grief Relief Ministries
By: David Knapp, Grief Relief Ministries via You Tube

Having to Break the Sad News to My Dad

 My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck. Proverbs 17-8 (NKJV)

My dad had moved where I live some time ago, so I could help with his health issues. His wife, on the other hand, remained in their home, so her daughter could help with her health issues. It wasn't ideal, but it's what happened.

Well, I found out the other day that Dad's wife passed away after getting a serious bout of pneumonia. Because Dad's doctors said that Dad needed skilled nursing 24/7, he now lives in a nice Veteran's Home an hour away from us. I didn't want to call Dad and share news like this. Besides, it's difficult for my Dad to hear on the phone.

 My husband and I went to go see Dad and break the news to him about his wife passing. Before we did this, we talked to the nurses and some of the staff to look in on Dad periodically and see how he's doing. They all were very supportive and said that they would. Dad seemed to handle it pretty well, but wanted to fly there to take care of things. I tried to explain that he has an oxygen tank and that he shouldn't be flying, but that just frustrated him. It has to be overwhelming to lose someone that you love and to not be with them as support, although Dad wouldn't have been physically able to do so anyway. I just need to be understanding if he gets frustrated from time to time, because it may be one of the ways he's dealing with his grief. We will all miss her dearly and my dad doesn't always verbalize how he's feeling.  My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck. Proverbs 17-8 (NKJV)

Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Video: Senior Loss of a Spouse
By: 6 on Seniors, CBS 6 Albany, Tim Bartos, Baptist Health Nursing & Rehabilitation Center via You Tube

Christ's Hand was in This!

The eye that mocks his father, And scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young eagles will eat it. Proverbs 30:17 NKJV

 I was very surprised to find out that Feedspot has included A Christian Caregiver as one of the Top 200 Christian blogs. You can see the list by clicking on this link or the badge to the right: Feedspot's List of the Top 200 Christian Blogs.  Should I have been that surprised, because Christ can do anything? 

 It was Christ who gave me the instincts to write this and the other Christian blogs. It was Christ who kept me going after someone hacked into this blog about a year and a half ago and deleted 100's of links I had put on A Christian Caregiver Blog. It made me so sad, because these links were there to make it easier for viewers to find topics that might pertain to their caregiving needs. 

 It was Christ who led us to open our house to my dad when he needed a place to stay. His wife was bedridden at the time and I think he didn't want to be a burden on her or her health. It was Christ who helped my dad blend in with my family and get to know and develop a deep love for his great-grandchildren. It was Christ who helped us through all of Dad's many falls, broken bones, many bouts of pneumonia due to having Parkinson's Disease, and for us to still be able to laugh over the silly things. 

 It was Christ who allowed us to enjoy every moment we could with Dad in our home, until the doctors felt his condition warranted more medical care. It was Christ who was there as Dad had a short stay in a nursing home for rehabilitation from pneumonia, a brief stay in an assisted living facility, residence in a group home and finally ending up in a wonderful Veteran's Home, because the doctors determined he needed skilled nursing 24/7.

 Along the way, Christ has been with us as the family's played many games of dominoes, creating memories to last a life time. Christ's given me grace and guided my words when Dad was not feeling well and was cranky! Christ continues to be there as we visit Dad weekly and Dad has continued to play a major role in my children's and grandchildren's lives. I've been truly blessed through the good times and the bad. Why should I be surprised that Christ would have this blog acknowledged, so others can find something that can help them in their caregiving experience? Although I'm very humbled by this, I realize that Christ's Hand was in this all along!
Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Video: What Do the Symptoms of Parkinson's Look Like?
By: Parkinsons NGO via You Tube

The Third Part of My Plan for Eating Snacks When Going to Visit Dad

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the might hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time; 7 Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.
We go visit my dad every week in a nice veteran's home. He is there, because of his frequent falls and his frequent bouts of pneumonia, since his doctor said he needed skilled nursing 24/7. Because the veteran's home is an hour away, we generally stay the night at a reasonable local hotel and visit him again the next day. The thing is, continued eating out was making it so my pants didn't fit well, nor did it blend in well with our goal to eat in a more healthy manner as we age. 

After being prayerful about this, we made several changes. The changes with our dinners is two posts prior to this and our changes with lunch is the post before this one. This post is going to focus more on the changes we made with snacks.

At first, I thought I was making wise snack choices. I would bring a large bag of organic lightly salted popcorn with only 130 calories per 3 cups. If that's all you ate, it wouldn't be bad at all, but that wasn't the case. It turned out that I was eating most of the bag while I was watching the TV in the hotel. The accumulated salt in several 3 cup servings was more than I should have and even though it had reasonable calories, it was adding up by eating most of the bag and my pants weren't fitting very well.

After being prayerful about changes we need to make, we decided to bring apples to snack on the way up to see Dad and the way back home. We also pack cottage cheese and fruit cocktail in it's own juice for an evening snack, since I needed more calcium due to Osteoporosis. Sometimes, we bring our own cut up fruit. It just depends on what we have handy and our timing. These changes helped us to feel full and not be doing mindless eating while we went to go see Dad each week. Since we all have situations where we have to eat elsewhere, maybe some of these changes may be worth contemplating. 

 Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Video: Caregiving for Older Adults - a Part of Our Culture
By: Sanni, In Holm Productions, Senior LinkAge Line via You Tube

The Second Part of an Alternate Lunch Plan When We Go Visit Dad

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Hebrew 13:5 

It might seem strange that I'm dedicating a few of my blog posts, (the previous one, this one, and the next one) to an alternate eating plan when I go to visit my dad. My dad has Parkinson's Disease and his doctors said that he needed to be in a skilled nursing facility 24/7 due to his falls and frequent bouts of pneumonia. Now, my dad lives in a very nice veteran's home an hour away, so we most often spend the night and see him again the next day.This is real life, and sometimes we have situations that happen where we have to be away from home and I thought these blogs may be helpful.

Since I was gaining weight by going out to eat every week when we went to visit my dad, I was trying to be prayerful of changes that should be made. Last week's post focused on the dinner changes we've made. This week focuses on the lunch changes we've made. 

We decided to pack a PB & J sandwich for each of us, so that we can have it for lunch. The main reason for this is that we don't have to worry about keeping it refrigerated, although we do keep it in the fridge in our hotel room over night. I tend to get clogged when I eat peanut butter very often, so I ended up switching to an AB &J sandwich. That is an Almond Butter and Jelly sandwich. We use light bread, so that two slices have the same calorie value as one regular slice. We also use Polaner All Fruit Spread, so we don't have any added sugar or artificial sugars. Also, we bring along an apple to eat with lunch. This plan adaptation works well for us. It not only keeps us healthy, but it is gentle on the pocketbook, as well.

 Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Video: How to Balance Life, Work, and Caregiving
By:Fox 4 Now, Fox 4 Morning Blend, Michelle Cunningham, Amy Goyer via You Tube

The First Part of Our Alternate Plan of Eating Dinner When We Come Visit Dad

1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 

My husband and I would go to see my dad each week at the Veteran's Home. We were really happy he was there, because they took really good care of him and he liked being around other veteran's who were also wheelchair bound. I think it helped him with grieving the loss of his mobility, because of having Parkinson's Disease.

Anyway, each week when we went up, we went out to dinner before going to our hotel room. Now, I enjoy going out to dinner, but going out to dinner that frequently takes a toll on your weight. My pants were getting too tight and I really wasn't sure what to do.

I was prayerful about all of this and the first part of the alternate plan was to bring my own food for dinner. At first, I didn't think that was so practical, but it has really worked out well. I have an insulated carrier. Before we leave home, put a pack of frozen vegetables in the bottom of the carrier to keep the rest of the food cold. I pack lettuce for our salad in a small BPA free container. I have started freezing leftovers of our meals. That way, I know they are healthy and the left overs don't go to waste. I usually pack some cottage cheese along with some fruit cocktail in it's own juice, because I need additional calcium with having Osteoporosis. 

We purchased 2 stoneware plates and bowls to heat the food and to eat on and some basic silverware at a local thrift shop.  This works out really well. Not only has it been healthier, but it's more economical. My husband and I really look forward to our meals in the hotel room rather than going out each week.

Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Video: Caregiver Depression
By: Mary Alexander, Home Instead, Monkey See via You Tube

The Great Leak-Part 2

There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. Proverbs 30:11

In the last post, I told about a time six or so months ago when Dad went to eat at an Asian restaurant miles away with his cousins. The post told about when we were wheeling Dad out, we noticed he left a gigantic puddle under his chair. Instead of cleaning it up, I left it because I knew my dad would be mortified if I cleaned it up in front of his cousins.

 Well, my dad turned 90 and part of his birthday present, we told him that we would take him to the Asian restaurant to celebrate with any cousins that could make it. He had lost two cousins, since we last met and another was in poor health.

 We drove Dad through three states and we got to have dinner and celebrate with his cousin. I asked my husband  privately to take Dad to the restroom to change his briefs, before we ordered the meal. I asked my husband two more times to see if Dad would go to the restroom, but Dad told him, "No," each time. I didn't know what to do, except to be prayerful about everything.

 They had a wonderful time talking about the past and the present. Then it came time to pay for the meal, something I had dreaded. I paid the same waitress that we had the previous time. I know she must have been the one to clean up the gigantic puddle. All I could think to do is to apologize. She was so gracious and didn't even bat an eye. She told me she understood, because she used to work in a nursing home. I was so relieved. I apologized in advance, because I was uncertain whether my dad would have another gigantic puddle when we left today, but she was still very gracious. God has put such wonderful, understanding people in our lives and I don't know if I always thank Him enough for it. Fortunately, it turned out that my dad didn't leave a puddle, this time. I felt truly blessed on so many levels.

Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Video: The Family Caregivers' Network Video Series
By: Rick Hoogendoorn -Victoria BC via You Tube

The Great Leak-Part 1

Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. 21 Fathers provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

 Although my dad is in a wheelchair and has oxygen, he still likes to get out and see family, when he's healthy enough to go. Actually, sometimes he's not quite healthy enough, but it means so much to him, we try to take him unless the medical staff tells us he shouldn't go.

We had driven through three states to take Dad to eat with his cousins at an Asian restaurant they both like. They had a wonderful time together talking about relatives, things in the past, and just small talk.

We had a great meal. The meal was paid for and we got ready to wheel Dad out. Everyone else was starting to head toward the door. That's when I realized that there was a gigantic puddle underneath my dad's wheelchair. I didn't know what to do. If I cleaned it up in front of Dad's cousins, he would have been mortified. I let my concerns for Dad's dignity override my sense of decency and I wheeled him to the car. 

I had felt terrible about this every time it crosses my mind. I had wished I had the phone number to call the restaurant and apologize for leaving that mess there. It was a terrible thing to do, but I didn't want to destroy the last shreds of dignity my dad has in front of his cousins.

Caregiving Video: A Day in the Life of a Caregiver
By: AARP via You Tube


Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

The Rest of the Armistice Anniversary Celebration

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is His reward. Psalm 127:3

After the parade of the Korean War Veteran's at the Veteran's Home, they took them all inside for a presentation. They started with a VFW unit posting the colors. They had a Chaplin read a prayer and sing: "I'm Proud to Be an American!" We all sang the Star Spangled Banner and said the Pledge of Allegiance. 

 The guest speaker's wife, played the song of each branch of the service, so all the veterans in the audience got recognized. The veteran's proudly raised their hands during the song. It was interesting to learn that some of the veterans had belonged to two different branches of the service. 

 Afterward, the guest speaker, a Korean War Veteran's Association Chaplin, spoke about the Korean War. Now, I've heard bits and pieces about the Korean War for years, but this speaker put the whole thing together in chronological order, so everything fell into place for me, as well as, other listeners. Following the presentation, they VFW had grilled hot dogs and chili dogs for the veterans. What a wonderful way to recognize these vets, who are dwindling at an amazing rate. This Veteran's Home is to be applauded for all they did for the vets!

Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.



Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Relate2TheBible Podcast

Christ's Grace Abounds

Christ's Grace Abounds

Share the Joy Blog

Share the Joy Blog