Don’t get me wrong! There are many problems, obstacles and frustrations along the way but it’s not all negativity! 
You learn to cherish the special moments you share with them. Ma loves reading, if she didn’t have reading, I don’t think she would survive. That’s a fact! The other thing that keeps her going are the kitties. They are with her 24/7. She talks to them, they cuddle with her, they just seem to understand. Her other outlet is the radio. She can talk about anything that is happening in the news as well as give an opinion on just about any subject you can imagine. Because she is ‘locked up’ in the house, her brain gets starved of interaction.
I cherish the conversations we have. Sharing her opinions, she comes alive! I’m a bit naughty… I like to give Ma stimulation so I share everything with her… I mean everything. When my poor suffering boyfriend started going out with me, he was shocked with what I used to say to her. I’d tell him, “she’s not dead, and there isn’t anything else exciting”… Now, he just rolls with it. I’m very blessed in that regard and Ma gets a big laugh.
Over the 8 years I’ve been with my man, Ma has gotten very fond of him. From day one he called her, Ma. He has put up extra railings in the house, gone on holidays with her with me, bought her flowers when she’s needed them, disappeared when I’ve toileted and showered her, and has always been sensitive to her needs.
One of the great things we share is the love of cooking. My Ma was a heck of a cook in her day and now supervises my efforts from the sidelines and assists in chopping and tasting my efforts. Our ‘communal cooking’ is one of the things I cherish most.
I’m not going to lie and say it isn’t hard work and that I wouldn’t mind ‘time out’ occasionally. Just a night away is a major production! But, at the end of the day, My Ma is an amazing person. She has given me my life and has sacrificed a lot for me. She is naughty, funny, kind, intelligent, witty and a huge pain in the bum sometimes. Most of all, she is my Ma and I love her.
aged carer experience 