The Blessing of Caregiving~

I am so thankful for my job as a caregiver! I care for a wonderful nearly 91 year old named Jim. I loved his son, Clark when we met in Wilmington, NC, 2006, at the 2nd Annual Sweetwater Pro-Am Surf fest in Wrightsville Beach. Clark's parents, Jim and Carole were there visiting and we shared a meal together. When I moved to Ft. Lauderdale in 2009, Clark encouraged me to call his parents and they took me to their church, First Baptist Ft. Lauderdale where I renewed my walk with Jesus and began attending and serving there! I needed to return to the Lord and change my life...I am so grateful!

Clark was tragically murdered in Costa Rica shortly after while his parents were visiting there and this sent Carole spiraling into Alzheimers disease. Jim moved her to Vero Beach and I began driving up to help him care for her. I eventually moved to Vero Beach full time. And here I am still in their life 16 years later! Carole passed into glorious heaven in 2017. I was so blessed to facilitate her funeral in Harlan, Kentucky with an altar call for her childhood friends! This family helped bring me back to the Lord and I owe them my life. I will serve them until Jesus comes!

Throughout my life I had worked with my marketing degree for several large corporations in Atlanta in advertising and marketing, online advertising and also commercial development and as a server in fine dining restaurants and hotels. I had no idea I would become a caregiver but God's story for our lives is usually different from what we were thinking! Here are several helpful tips and and healthy scriptures I have learned along the way.

1. We are always just showing the love of Jesus in whatever job or situation God has placed us! Matthew 22:36-40 reads “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

2. Stick to a daily, routine or schedule. As our brain starts to slow it is helpful to keep a daily routine the senior will become comfortable with. Use their existing schedule but implement healthy exercises, stretches and brain games and outings.

3. Encourage the senior to ride a stationary bike every morning if possible. Take morning and afternoon walks together.

4. Tell them how much you love them and how much their family loved them! Jim is like a dad to me! 1 Timothy 5:1-2 -"Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers; 2. older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity."

5. Look through family, wedding or school photo albums as they love to remember the past!

6. We read the daily readings from the One Year Bible every morning after breakfast and a devotional book to start our day. This also allows for a time of prayer of protection and thankfulness and healing!

7. Encourage reading books and magazines and allow for lighter computer time. Sometimes our loved ones purchase memberships and other items they do not recall on the computer. Also, staring at the computer for too long can hurt their eyesight.

8. Encourage them to keep up with any friends and family through Facebook or Email.

9. I have placed a morning “get ready” list to make sure he is doing everything he needs to do to start his day. I have his list in large letters taped to his dresser where he sees it each day for reminders.

10. Play Uno or Gin rummy card games a few times a week. Work puzzles. Do something each day for our brain!

11. Encourage healthy TV programs like murder mysteries or Hallmark, How its made shows or nature shows. Jim loves golf!

12. My loved one enjoys cooking with me if he must eat in so I give him easy cooking jobs or setting our table jobs. We eat healthy meals, use coconut oil instead of butter and I make a healthy fruit smoothie or fruit ice cream each day in our Vitamix!

13. Psalm 71:9-"Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone."

14. I am still encouraging him to do his laundry and helping if I need. He likes to feel very independent.

15. We often go for afternoon drives to the beach or running errands. He still drives and as it was his most preferred job all of his life he will drive until he is unable. It is important to get a handicap preference blue sign for easy access although I try and encourage us to walk thru any parking lots for exercise!

16. Speak slower and enunciate more clearly so they can hear you. Jim says he can hear me he just can’t understand me as we speak differently and more quickly now he says! Also keep hearing aids clean daily:)

17. Isaiah 46:4 -"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."

18. Leviticus 19:32-"Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord."

19. Encourage your senior to watch Godly, Christian programming on Sunday mornings and throughout the week as Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God! Romans 10:17

20. Don’t forget to take time for yourself, take short trips and get away during the day for private moments. I start my day walking or bicycling and listening to my church radio station, ccvb.fm or govictory.com to build and strengthen my spirit up each morning. It is great to start the day strong in the Lord to prepare us for whatever comes our way! And pray throughout for wisdom and understanding~

It has been a dream job caring for Jim and his wife, Carole, previously! I praise God for the opportunity to serve and bless him each day!