Healing Through the Hero's Journey

In this last episode of the series Caring for a Parent with Dementia, I explain how I travel with my mom to a care resort in Thailand. There we find the right conditions and services that we couldn't find in the U.S. The cost is also reasonable. Luckily, my mom loves the food, and the people are kind and gentle. For the moment, we continue to live here in Thailand and though our journey continues, at this point we can satisfactorily say that my mom and I have arrived at a good place where she gets the care she needs and I can go on living my life and not have to worry about her.

In this fourth episode, I explain the symptoms of middle stage dementia and when I knew it was time to have my mom live at the care home. However, the services provided were lower quality than what I had expected and I ended up taking my mom out of there.

In this second episode, I explain how my mom entered the early phase of dementia and was in denial about her condition. There are signs to look out for, and boundaries to keep in mind. Most important of all, as your mom or dad continues to be active, you must be alert on their behalf. The people around them won't always be helpful or even supportive.

In this first episode, I explain my journey of caring for my mom who was diagnosed with pre-dementia at 70 years old. I give some advice and information for anyone who is caring for their parent currently or foresees this happening in the near future.

In the next four episodes, I will explain how to use some tips and tools to stay sane and grounded during this difficult time and know when to hand over the care of your mom or dad to a professional facility.