From all of us here at The Birches on Maple Assisted Living & Memory Care, we appreciate the positive feedback from our blog readers regarding the practical utility of our blog posts. Many of our readers are at home taking care of their loved one’s Assisted Living support needs and/or their Memory Care support requirements. We are honored and humbled to lend a hand via our weekly blog posts. Today, let’s try to find a laugh in it all with some help from our friends at DailyCaring.com.

Caregiving offers funny moments

“I was kneeling beside Mom’s bed last night when she was saying her bedtime prayer. This night she prayed, ‘Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the LORD my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray he takes me like an earthquake.’ Instead of …my soul to take. I said ‘what?’ Mom laughed and said, ‘well, I couldn’t remember the rest and …well, it rhymed!’ ~ Amen!”

Funny moments happen while you’re caring for an older adult. Look to recognize and celebrate them. Of course, chronic illnesses or diseases like Alzheimer’s are certainly no laughing matter. But even in the middle of the worst day, there’s still room for laughter.

Let’s talk about why it’s good for both you and your senior to find humor in caregiving and why you shouldn’t feel guilty about it.

With a positive attitude, life will not be focused on doom and gloom

Even if you’re caring for an older adult with a debilitating illness or in declining health, the world doesn’t have to be dark, gray, and depressing all the time. It might sound counter-intuitive, but these are the times when a dose of humor is most needed.

Besides, being angry, miserable, and tense won’t change a bad situation or make your senior’s life more pleasant. So why not try to look at the funny or positive side of things whenever possible? Like we do here at The Birches on Maple Assisted Living & Memory Care, look for ways to engage the creative spirt! Your certain to find reward and humor in it all.

Laughing helps cope with difficult emotions

It turns out that humor is a very effective way of coping with the difficult emotions that come with caregiving and aging.

In research studies, over 75% of recurrent cancer patients and those facing terminal illness said that maintaining a sense of humor was very important. It was right up there with being pain-free. That’s a pretty big endorsement.

It’s not mean or disrespectful

A common reason why caregivers resist looking for humor is that they feel guilty about seeming mean or disrespectful of their senior. In truth, part of being a wonderful caregiver is to let yourself laugh and to encourage laughter in your older adult.

After all, you’re not laughing at the person you love and care for. You’re laughing at a funny, ridiculous, or ironic situation. Best of all are the times when your older adult laughs even harder than you do.

“I came home yesterday from work and Mom came out to the kitchen to greet me. I said, ‘Mom, you have on my sweat pants!’ We each have a pair of soft, comfy pea green sweats. Hers are a size 14 and mine are a few sizes bigger! She says, ‘I thought I had lost a lot of weight!’ Then she pulls up her shirt to show me she had them pinned to her bra to keep them up! We had a good laugh!”

No caregiver and no older adult will feel like laughing all the time. But giving yourself permission to notice when funny things do happen and encouraging your senior to laugh eases the burden and makes life more positive for both you.

Are you at home providing assisted living and/or memory care services of a loved one. Know that you are never alone. Contact The Birches on Maple Assisted Living and Memory Care anytime. We know your challenges and can help!