My online friend Lynn, whose mother with Lewy Body Dementia (autopsy-confirmed) died a few months ago, shared this article in her local Tampa newspaper with me today. She said it rang true for her.
The author of the newspaper article is Gary Joseph LeBlanc, who wrote the book “Staying Afloat in a Sea of Forgetfulness: Common Sense Caregiving.” I shared some book excerpts on caregiver guilt in February 2012.
In the Tampa Tribune article, Mr. LeBlanc says:
“Reportedly, 45 percent of caregivers will go through mild to severe depression for up to two or three years after a loved one has passed. Many will never fully recover and once again enjoy a functional social life. They must learn to slowly accept the up and down changes one day at a time. It’s highly unlikely that those who have traveled down the rough road of caregiving will ever look at life in the same manner, but I mean that in a good way. Most come away with tremendous growth in their emotional and spiritual inner being. But there’s no question that there is a recovery stage one must go through. So, if you know of any caregivers who have recently lost a loved one, help them find their way back into today’s society. Take them to lunch or to an uplifting movie. Simply getting them out of their house may bounce them back on the right path to start enjoying life again.”
Here’s a link to the full article:
Offer friendship to lonely longtime caregiver
Tampa Tribune
By Gary Joseph LeBlanc | Special correspondent
Published: April 21, 2012