When Ginny’s mother is in “crisis mode”, everything is put on hold until things return to normal, including Ginny’s hobbies.
Transcript
I love to go for my walks. I try to get a buddy to go for my walk. My sister-in-law is actually my buddy, my walking partner. We go for a walk every morning quite early because she’s still working. So I’ll get up and I’ll go for a walk with her. Then that will start my day. We keep each other motivated. In the winter, last winter, we started cross-country skiing, my sister-in-law and I. We really loved that, but the only reason I could do that was because my mother was already in the interim care centre and I knew that she was being taken care of. So once my mother was taken care of, I could start to do a few more of those things.
This winter I’m hoping to get out and do more cross-country skiing and continue with my walking. I felt like I just started really enjoying the cross-country skiing and getting—I wouldn’t say good at it—but starting to feel that I could stand on my skis and be able to get from point A to point B. Then summer came; the snow stopped and we started just walking again. […]
You never know when the next crisis is going to come. That’s the problem. Then everything stops and then life is sort of on hold for a little while until things get back to normal. That happens when you have something like recurring TIA’s or a fall. Those crises happen more and more. But I am trying. I have a piano at home that I started to play a little bit more, but again, when you’re in crisis mode I find that it stops as well.
And lunches with my friends. I know I can always call them and we can go out. They’re texting me or e-mailing me. I have a group—we call it our book club, our circle of friends—and we get together once a month. I’ve been there a few times. We meet at each other’s houses and I think I’ve met with them a few times—maybe three or four times—which has been really nice. I love to have that social contact with them. My husband and I, we did go for a little holiday, but then when we came back, my mother had another TIA and that’s when my I called my brothers and they all came. So, we’re in crisis. We’re just starting to get out of crisis mode now.
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- Support from family and friends – GinnyWhen others take care of her mother, Ginny worries that she is giving them a lot of responsibility.
- Society and caregiving – GinnyGinny has learned how important it is to do nice things for others. She hopes she will have the time to continue visiting the nursing home to brighten people’s days.
- Resources – GinnyWhen Ginny’s mother was late to go to her care group, Ginny decided to pay someone to help her mother get ready.
- Navigating the system – GinnyGinny’s friend is a nurse practitioner. She can ask her to see her mother.
- Home care and live-in caregivers – GinnyHaving a new home care worker every day was difficult for Ginny and her mother. Eventually, Ginny decided they might be better off without the help.
- Health system issues – GinnyWhen Ginny found support, it always arrived almost too late. She wishes the system could be more proactive.
- Caring for yourself – GinnyWhen Ginny’s mother is in “crisis mode”, everything is put on hold until things return to normal, including Ginny’s hobbies.
- Becoming a caregiver – GinnyWhen Ginny’s father died, it became clear that her mother could no longer stay at home alone; Ginny invited her mother to stay with her for a few weeks.