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Community Manager

AARP Caregiving Summer Break Contest

 

Summertime often means taking breaks and planning vacations. Both of these can be a bit tricky while caring for a loved one.  Have you traveled with your loved one recently or are you planning to?  

Share your experience here and you will be entered in our Caregiving Summer Contest 2018 and could win one of the weekly $100 gift cards or a chance for the overall winning prize of $500 gift card. Your story may be advice or inspirational!

Review rules here:  https://community.aarp.org/t5/Caregiving/AARP-Caregiving-Summer-Break-Contest-2018/m-p/2023713#M67

AARPTeri
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Contributor

My greatest memory of my grandma B was when we took her to the beach for the first time. Even though she was in the mid stages of Alzeimers and dementia, it was awe inspiring to see her face and her reaction when she heard the roar of the ocean. My regrets now that she is no longer with us, is that we should have done so many more "firsts" with her. Oh how I miss her 😢

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Newbie

I'll be taking my best friends Mom to Tennessee.  The mom has always wanted to go but my friend is too busy with kids to take her.  So I decided to do it.  The mom has had both hips replaced and she can't walk too much but we're going to make the best of it with a rented wheel chair for bad days and lots of breaks on good days.

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Newbie

Of course my entry doesn't count, but wanted to share one: 

 

We took mom to the beach this year but had to change accommodations to be sure there was a ramp and we rented a beach wheelchair to help get her to the beach.  I had to explain to my kids, that I know its hard because grandma is not her old self but we should spend time with her while we can.  I have such fond memories of this vacation even if there were some challenges!

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Newbie

Hi Caregiver Community,
In an effort to take a “mental break” from the constant bombardment of the same questions that were posed by my Aunt (continuously...God bless her) I wrote “her story” in a small booklet. Whenever, I needed a break, I would give her the booklet so she could read her story (with amazement and delight) that answered all of her routinely asked questions. My favorite part was when she would read that she was 90 years old. Each time (just like most of the women I know), she would deny that truth... “90 years old...that can’t be true” she would exclaim emphatically...I would laugh each and every time! Affording Auntie the opportunity to read her “book” both calmed and entertained her, giving me or other caregivers the mental break that was so needed from time to time. RIP, Auntie Ida!!

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Newbie

for my summer break i plan to spend my birthday with my aunt and going places she has never went to before.

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Newbie

I enjoy taking care of my loved one but it is hard to plan vacations.  I would love to plan a vacation and be able to take my loved one along.  A nice relaxing beach vacation would be nice.  I'd need to bring another family member along to help so that I would be able to get a break every now and then and enjoy the scenery.

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Since both my mother and I are elderly, it is challenging to have summer fun when you are getting older.  We enjoy getting out as much.  We take day trips with my children and their kids to the city, the local park, and even rest stops further up. We also like to go to Greensville, which is not that far and other nearby cities we can not normally go.

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Newbie

Travel is really a whole other ballgame when you are a caregiver responsible for someone else. It becomes not about enjoying yourselves, but also about making sure that things are in place to accommodate your needs. For kids or adults you are responsible for their needs as well as your own. You have to rush to get things done and make sure everything is takekn care of appropertly so that you can enjoy a small part of the vacation while makeing sure that all of the people you are a caregiver to is taken care of in all aspects of their day. You need to do things that both you and your family enjoy so that everyone can enjoy the vacation

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I like spending time with my mom and taking her out to the city. We like to visit friends during the summer and we like to do things we can not normally do during the colder months like garden and visit the grandkids up north.

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Newbie

I am a caregiver for my sick grandpa Herman. He is 87 years old and he really loves the outdoors so I try to get him out as much as possible and hates when he has to stay in. We often end up watching the outdoors channel on television when he has to stay in the house.

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Newbie

My name is Lucille, and I take care of my daughter who has chronic kidney disease. The way I take a break is to remember to have me time...even if it's something so minor as buying myself a milkshake. I do something small for myself each month. It doesn't have to be expensive. It just has to be something just for me.

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Contributor

Travel can be hard with elderly parents.  It can be stressful on them too.  My husband and I took my parents to a wedding in another state.  Lots of stops help them a lot and if driving long long distances, being off the road by 4:00 helps a lot too.  They can have a nice dinner and have plenty of time to relax before bedtime.

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my kids are wonderfull

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Im just here for the imvu credits...

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Newbie

My favorite thing about summer is spending extra time with my family.

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Newbie

We love to travel, but right now, we're just looking for somewhere to move so my daughter can breathe and live a healthy and happy life.

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Newbie

we travel to walt disney world because that is my place, my home. we actually make about 3 trips down from connecticut a year, and spend about 30 days total there...which seems crazy to some, but to me it isnt enough! disney is my happy place, nothing in my life has ever made me happier. it motivates me, inspires me, makes me happy and takes away all my problems. its actually my dream to move down and work as a cast member. this is the first goal ive ever really had and really worked hard to achieve. it is my reason for everything i do. i wish i was able to go down more frequently, and i love spreading the magic no matter where i am.

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Newbie

I met my bf about eight years ago, and we are 14 years apart in age (he is currently 51, and I am 37). Near the beginning, he was a great support for me, as I was dealing with my mother struggling with breast cancer, and eventually losing her at the early age of 59, which devastated me, and has truly not gotten easier as the years go by.I have always been a sentimental type, preserving old photographs, researching family history, keeping cards and letters which I found meaningful, and labeling items from generations past for generations future. Quite indifferent, our children have not shared the same interest in my cache of artifacts and my passion for tales of long past relatives. Such things will vanish along with me. But our story reflects a strange and unique twist of events resulting from my love of reminiscence and most likely from my finally fulfilled wish to take what I call our “journey home.”

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I'm pretty fortunate. My sister and I are able to trade off in taking care of my parents. We've also both got loving, supportive spouses who can also help out when needed. I feel so blessed.

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tbh - so seriously frfr - iRead a book. A gosh darn book, Nina. Raise your parents, raise your parents, raise your gosh darn parental units.

 

I'm sure Dad needed a break from wiping my AARP from time to time, too.

 

Empathy.

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Newbie

we always go to walt disney world to escape from the worries of real life.

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Kudos
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My Mother has Alzheimers and is napping and/or upset most of the time. 

 

I am my Father's respite caregiver so I have been trying out different ways to keep her awake (so she'll stay in bed all night), engaged and calm.

 

Getting to do errands or visit friends without having to take Mom along or even just having time to take an undisturbed nap are the things he most needs.

 

#1 - Mom might be upset at me but my dog can do no wrong.  Petting, talking about and talking to Bella bring a smile to her face every time.

 

#2 - We have a hard time getting her to eat but ice cream is always accepted.  So we freeze her Ensure in a bowl with a 1/2 banana and squirt a little chocolate over the top.  

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Newbie

I am planning a trip at the end of the summer to New Orleans. I am nervous about going with the person I caregive so am trying to find out all I can about the area we are going to be staying. Hoping for no big surprises!

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My mother needed oxygen at night. We were able to arrange for an oxygen tank to be delivered in the city we were visiting. That really helped.

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I became a caregiver for my father several years ago. He had started to lose his eyesight and his memory and could no longer drive or be left at home alone. And though I knew where and how to get help, it was still difficult as a long distance caregiver and emotionally frustrating to honor his wishes and yet take what I knew would be the best care of him.

Thankfully, the time I spent with my father was delightful. And my siblings and I grew closer–we had to work as a team to coordinate our travel schedules, communicate the latest medical orders, and ensure that the financial responsibilities of my parents were covered.

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Contributor

I am disabled and aking care of three disabled young adults. We like to travel close to home for community service projects.

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Info Seeker

I care for my 70yo mom who has suffered several minor strokes in the past several years and has begun to show slight signs of dementia this past year. She is a fall risk as well, and suffered a fall just recently. In preparation for a trip to Las Vegas early next year, I have begun to prepare for the adventure by purchasing a few items that will make the trip easier for both her and myself. I have purchased a narrower, triangular walker which will be able to navigate the casino floor more easily than a traditional shaped walker. I have acquired a motion activated door alarm that hangs on the doorknob of the hotel room exit door to make sure she doesn't wander out in the middle of the night. It is loud enough to wake me up, but not so loud that it would bother other hotel guests.

 

Las Vegas has been someplace that she has always wanted to go, but the opportunity had never arose. So before her ailments advance further, we will make the trip while she can still enjoy it somewhat. A lot more preparation will go into planning things for everything to go well, but I'm up for it. It's not so easy taking care of an aging parent. My mom took care of my dad until he passed away in 2009, and now it's her turn for someone to take care of her and do whatever they can to make life as enjoyable as possible. For now, that someone is me. So I hope my efforts are honorable.

 

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Newbie

Hello my name is Ari and I'm planning to take my father to Japan this next year of spring for vacation. My father isn't really the type of person who loves travelling but he does want to visit Japan because he believes that the Japanese culture is beautiful. He also wants to try Japanese food and enjoy the the sight of Sakura or cherry bloosom tree. 

 

Me and my father are not very close but we share the same things that we like. I love Japan too and I believe that travelling to Japan will bring us closer. I can not wait to go to Japan and travel wit my father.

 

 

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Periodic Contributor

My husband and I look forward to our little "Stay-cations" with my mom. We go to her house and stay with her so that my sister gets a break and I get the chance to visit and care for my 85 year old mom.  But change is happening quickly and mom now uses a walker full time and a wheel chair part time, she is just getting so frail.It's sad to see that her body is wearing out so we do what we can to keep her up and active. Her mind is sharp... and she has no problem at all with soundly beating me in a game or two of Scrabble; for that we are thankful and continue to work through games, reading, and conversation to engage her at every opportunity, to help her maintain her quality of life.

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Newbie

One of my fond memories during summer vacation was going to Disneyland with my family. We had to make accommodations in advance because my stepmom was disabled and needed a wheelchair to get around Disneyland. It seemed like it was going to be a setback, but actually ended up getting us to the front of many lines faster which made our overall experience extremely enjoyable. 

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