The slow grief of long-term care has been referred to as the slow grief of thousands of small sorrows.
Whether we are caring for someone in our home or walking the halls of a care facility, our name has changed to caregiver and from that moment our life is dominated by that title.
Eve Isaak, director of spiritual care of Lakes District Hospital and the Pines knows all too well, the grief experienced by long term caregivers as well as the person experiencing the onset of dementia.
For more than 10 years she cared for her husband who first experienced dementia at the age of 52 years; he was eventually placed in a care facility three and a half years before he died.
"I wish I had known of a support group when I was in my lonesome valley of long term care. For too long I had what is called the 鈥榗aregiver syndrome鈥�. I knew how to give care but I did not know how to receive care," she said.
We need to share with someone we trust, of our quiet sorrows; we need to be able to say what it is like to lose the person before we lose the body. We need to be able to tell someone that we have lost companionship, time, communication with our loved one, our dreams, our friends; we need to hear that we are not alone in all that we experience.
If you would like to join the support group, contact Eve Isaak at 250-251-1501.
The group meets on April 7 at 3 p.m. in the boardroom of the Lakes District Hospital.
