Caring Through the Holidays: Community Education on Dementia

High on our list for a place for our Mom was connection to the church, closeness to her church home, Gethsemane Lutheran, and a private room with her own phone line! Mom was not the kind to share a room. Her opinions were strongly held and vocally shared. We loved that about her, but realized that another might not. Though the cooking was not to her liking ("they never met an onion") we and she realized that residents have many dietary needs. She ate dessert first. The staff, however, allowed us to buy Grape Nuts to offer when she showed up early for breakfast. We endured COVID without Mom, the former TB patient, getting it. When I had other care concerns, staff addressed those at once. It was a good place for my Mom. The Chaplain even showed up wearing a tee shirt with her photo and the phrase "Valedictorian" a fact Mom managed to mention to every new care giver.