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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

I take my mom to the flea market every Sunday and it gives her something to look forward to. We both enjoy it!

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Newbie

I always plan extra time for unexpected stops or stops that take longer than expected.  I do not want my loved one to feel rushed in any manner.  

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Contributor

 I took my mother for a drive to see the old Michigan Central Station where she worked during World War II. She was thrilled to see renovations to the building and surrounding neighborhood. Our staycation was rounded out by lunch at her favorite restaurant and a lovely drive along a parkway. 

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Regular Contributor

For the past three years my wife and I have visited our daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter back East. We have a great time, but limited finances have generally kept us close to home while we're there.


This year, as a treat and surprise, we arranged to rent an ocean house for a week on the Atlantic Ocean. We didn't tell our relatives about this plan until we got to their home. Five days later, we left their home city and drove to the ocean, settling in for a week's getaway.

 

Since our granddaughter is a very fun, spritely 5-year-old, we made sure that two afternoons that week we took care of her, allowing our daughter and son-in-law to have time away from the beach house, so they could drive off and explore the area.

 

They had a great time. We had a wonderful time. And we can't wait to do it again next year. 

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Newbie

I so miss members of my family who are no longer here

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Newbie

Very nice company to have

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Contributor

My mom is 85 and although I am not her caregiver I do see her almost daily.  She used to walk at least a mile every day until she broke her fibia.  Now her arthritis in her knees is too much to bear.  She doesn't get out much.  She does have a new great grandbaby and for my birthday a few weeks ago she spent time with my family and grandbaby - it was awesome for her to get out! She enjoyed it so much - and I am thankful for that special memory!  

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Newbie

I care for my father who has advanced COPD and needs oxygen and care. 

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Newbie

This is a great idea!

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Newbie

Planning a trip late this summer. I aim to have fun and relax. I also want to make sure we stay cool by using cooling towels, personal fans, hats, and light clothing.  Also must drink lots of water.

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Newbie

I took care of a lady for three years that is bedridden. It was a very rewarding jon

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Contributor

Well it happen when I least expected it. But AARP was there to help out. I really appreciate everything they have done when this situation arosed

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AARP Expert

@williams215460 So glad to hear that we've been helpful in your caregiving journey! Hope things are going well for you now. Be sure to reach out if we can be of any further assistance to you!

 

Take care, 

Amy Goyer, AARP Family & Caregiving Expert

 

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Newbie

When I need a brak from taking care of Mom, I bring her on a "mini vacation" to my son's house for a week. She gets to spend quality time with her grandson and 4 great grandkids, and they just love having Grandma Barb there to play boardgames with and color special pictures for and just get extra cuddle time. It truly takes a village when caring for loved ones of all ages!

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AARP Expert

@AnitaS794437 This is such a great idea! It's like a "staycation" but at your son's home - a "respite-cation"! And we all need intergenerational relationships to light up our lives. It's just not natural to be age-segregated all the time. I'm sure those grandkids bring light to your life too. And it's a great way for you to get a break from caregiving too so you can catch your breath and get some rest. Bravo! 

 

Take care,

Amy Goyer, AARP Family & Caregiving Expert

Author, Juggling Life, Work and Caregiving and

Color Your Way Content When Caring for Loved Ones

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We have to be strong for our love ones. I hope with me finding about AARP that I will will get some me time. The hardest thing is not having someone to talk to. Thanks for listening. 

 

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Newbie

taking care of my mother who has dialisis 4 times a week there is no time for anything let alone a vacation. would love to take a trip

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Newbie

hi im new here

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Newbie

My grandma cares for my nephew this year she wanted to go on a cruise to Africa but the mother of the baby didn't want to watch him for that long. So being the wonderful person she is, my grandma, cancelled her cruise to Africa and instead took my little nephew on a cruise to the beach. When they came back he looked so happy and so did my grandma
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Contributor

we took a trip to disneyworld

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Newbie

I have a bad hip and my eyes ain't no good no more.  I need to win to buy new glasses.  My summer is spent in the heat and the flies try to eat the sores on my feet.  Sometimes I just want to die from the smell.  Best of luck

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Contributor

I took care of my partner Karen. She was 41 when she got diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis(MS). When I met her in May 2013 she was 42 and wheelchair bound. I was an aid when I met her. She stole my heart and I quite my job to take care of her. Didn’t have an income myself for six months after quieting. Then I was blessed she was able to have a paid caregiver, and I was able to get paid to take care of her. I got paid to take care of her 56-66 hours a week, but as a caregiver you work around the clock for your loved one. We were together day and night. Karen took a lot of help. She needed help with bathing, dressing, transfers, reminding, and sometimes eating. I did all the house work, paying bills, and taking care of our dogs. Karen was in extreme pain daily. She also had seizures. She had good days and bad days. A good day consisted of going to Meijer to get sports cards. She loved to collect sports cards. A bad day consisted of her losing feeling from the waist down, and not being able to move. We could never really make plans because we had to see what each day would bring. A handicap van did help with travels. On cool days we would escape and go fishing, but only at places that were handicap accessible. That was the main key in everything. We could only go to places that had a wheelchair ramp, wide spaces inside for a wheelchair, and a handicap restroom. It was very hard for her to accept that she couldn’t do what she used too before getting her disease. In the summertime we had to stay in a lot, because of her meds and the heat. We watched movies, played with dogs, and sorted sports cards. 

      Instead of planning vacations we had to plan doctors appointments. We were always going to doctors appointments in and out of town. She had physical therapy three times a week since she was diagnosed with MS. I never really had time for myself. Rarely went anywhere alone, because she needed constant care. 

       In November 2016 Karen went to sleep and never woke up. It was devistating I lost my soulmate, my job, and my income all at once. I will never regret the time that I got to spend with Karen, even though it wasn’t always easy it will always be worth it. We had our faith to keep us moving. A couple months later I went into home health and I’m a caregiver still today.

        Some advice I would like to offer is to never take the time you have with the person for granted. Remember you are making a difference even when you don’t feel like it. We have our bad days too, and that’s okay we are human. We just need to find a different way to cope. I would listen to music while doing things. Watching your loved one suffer is horrible, but you being there giving all you can helps them push through. We don’t all have people who can step in and help with our loved one, but if you do it’s okay to ask for help. Thanks for reading. 

       God Bless!             Shanon

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Newbie

🙂
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Newbie

just chill

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Newbie

We went to visit our mom in northern California. She always wanted to go to Disneyland when we were young, but never got the chance. My wife surprised us with tickets so we could take my mother on her 85th birthday. That day she says I may be old, but today I feel young again. She had a blast. 

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AARP Expert

@MikeL360717 That is a great quote to remember! What a gift you gave her - not just the actual visit to Disneyland but the infusion of joy - that will lengthen her life! 🙂 

 

Take care,

Amy Goyer, AARP Family & Caregiving Expert

Author, Juggling Life, Work and Caregiving and

Color Your Way Content When Caring for Loved Ones

 

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Newbie

It can be really hard. Sometimes, it might even feel like you're trying to break free from a Master Ball... but babe, it's really only a Super Ball. You got this.

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Contributor

My mom has mobility issues and dementia. When we take her on vacation, we go to places from our childhood or her childhood to try and recreate and recall memories. She gets details scrambled, but even if it's not always quite right, she comes up with a story that makes her happy and thats good enough for me.

 

Good luck to you all on your journey forward.

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AARP Expert

@MsA844925 It's amazing how being in a place that is familiar from long ago evokes memories - the sights, the sounds, the scents - your trip is a multi-sensory stimulation for her brain too! And the most important thing is the joy you bring her! Kudos to you! 

 

You might like this video I made for AARP about ways to create joy in your caregiving journey! "Senior Caregiving: How to Create Joy" You'll see I took my parents on many outings as you do! 

 

Take care,

Amy Goyer, AARP Family & Caregiving Expert

Author, Juggling Life, Work and Caregiving and

Color Your Way Content When Caring for Loved Ones

 

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I am batteling epilepsy and early onset Alzheimer's. My husband does all he can to help. It is incredibly difficult for him. I am a lot.to deal with at times. Its hard for him to accept what is happening to me. He is my rock though. I would not be here if it wasn't for his unconditional love.

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