[Faith-Talk] Faith, Blindness and elderly grandparents

Thu Jun 10 17:08:10 UTC 2021

Sounds like you have a plateful.
We will pray for you.
In addition, perhaps some of these resources might help.

https://www.alz.org

https://www.helpguide.org > alzheimers-dementia-aging

https://www.acl.gov

Caregiver's Guide to Understanding Dementia Behaviors ...
https://www.caregiver.org > resource > caregivers-guide...

Wisconsin Alzheimer's Family & Caregiver Support Program
https://www.payingforseniorcare.com > Wisconsin

Wisconsin - Alzheimer's Association https://www.alz.org > wi

Dementia/Memory Care - Rock County Wisconsin https://www.co.rock.wi.us > adrc > 
dementia-care

When my husband had cancer, we got in touch with the American Cancer Society 
and they helped us arrange free local rides with a cancer survivor to and from 
the doctor for daily radiation treatments.

It may be that there is a support group or a local organization that you can 
contact that can help.

I know this can be overwhelming.  I hope some of these suggestions or others 
you might find online can be of assistance.  I know transportation is a big 
deal, but lots of other people don't drive and I'm sure there are allowances 
for that.  Moving on top of this has to be stressful as well.  Will you be able 
to find a church near where you will live?

I guess one thing at a time.

Keeping you and your situation in prayer.

Joy

-----Original Message-----
From: Faith-Talk <faith-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Ericka via 
Faith-Talk
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2021 9:47 AM
To: faith-talk at nfbnet.org
Cc: Ericka <dotwriter1 at gmail.com>
Subject: [Faith-Talk] Faith, Blindness and elderly grandparents

Hey everybody is everyone all right? Hopefully you are enjoying a mask free 
summer with family and friends. Wisconsin Paul its mandate and the sizzling 
temperatures came about the same time so I'm quite thankful for many many 
reasons that we don't have to wear the masks anymore.

I don't know if my subject line intrigued anyone. This has been a pretty darn 
quiet space lately. I'm surprised there hasn't been more concerned over 
churches getting their services online and having them be accessible. Anyhow 
our church goes back fully next weekend to "normal".

How does everything else relate to the following below? It's not death. I'm not 
worried about that. I'm already prepared for the most part for my grandparents 
to pass. After all my grandma will be 97 next month. My grandpa just turned 95 
a few months ago. However how do people balance the duties of being a caring 
support of grandchild with their Blindness? Has anybody been a caregiver for 
their elderly grandparents or a parent? Have you especially cared for someone 
with Alzheimer's or other dementia? I'm the oldest grandchild Lucy and my 
grandma and I are close. Like best friends, sharing secrets and all that. So I 
can usually read her mind and I can totally understand her dementia world but I 
can't be there with her 24 /7. I'd like to be there not to be a home caregiver 
but to help her transition from home life which is not going well with the 
wondering issues and stuff to assisted-living. I want her to know that I'm 
still there. There was one incident where she got out of the house during the 
day forgot that she had the phone and was talking to me. She ended up wandering 
around the neighborhood asking everybody they saw if they had seen her 
granddaughter and of course let them know that she was visually impaired. Her 
baby brother was run over by a car you see at age 5 and she's always felt 
responsible ever cents so she was in another world thinking I wasn't safe 
because of the drivers. At least she kept the phone on because then my husband 
and I could hear what was going on and relayed things to the cops so they could 
bring her home and make sure she was more I mean my grandpa was home and all 
but he didn't realize she wandered off. She had been sitting outside talking to 
me sitting on the front stoop because the day was nice. This was a while ago. 
Now she's going out at night and last night she fell. She's in the hospital 
again for  the fall. Yesterday we buried her close friend and former neighbor.

Besides my grandpa, my husband and I are the only family in town. Well I have 
one cousin was dealing with the same issues with her mother. She's got a full 
load. My husband and I don't drive but my grandpa does so we can do get rides. 
Passing after the pandemic is a nightmare. The website with all the road 
information isn't easily accessible and staff can't answer questions anymore. 
Only bus drivers know so you can't really plan a route anymore you're in 
Madison. Most of the good assisted-living places are not on bus routes anyhow 
and never were. I really wish I could be the granddaughter came to visit every 
day. I know how important that is after 30 years of either volunteer or paid 
work in the field of dementia care. I don't know what to ask for. Of course 
prayers are helpful but anyone who has advice or emotional support would be 
very very much appreciated.

We are moving also so it complicates everything more. It's too expensive to 
live in Madison and with the unreliable bus situation we are moving to 
Janesville, a half hour ride southeast which does have busing up to Madison 
regularl.  We're trying not to feel guilty. We know that my grandpa won't be 
able to drive much longer. There's probably more I could give you for 
background but I hope that all have some good help for us.

Ericka Nelson
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