Since becoming one of the main caregivers of my nursing-home residing mom who is 89, and my 93 yr old dad, whose home my husband & I moved into to care for him, my memory is SHOT. I feel wound up and cannot retain much of anything any longer; I really feel the excessive worry & stress is causing this. Anyone else experience this? It is frightening to me.
My only advice is try to chill. Things happen in life and even when things seem terrible, if we step back from it, we see that it is all just part of life. It would be nice if we could learn not to take things too seriously and just go with what is happening at the moment. Worrying about tomorrow is a problem that I have. I try hard not to do that, because it just causes anticipatory anxiety, which is not useful or good for me.
Aside from the stress factor I think it is the distraction factor, my mother talks 90% of the time (mostly complaining, criticizing, obsessing, and ruminating). Always has around family, but acquaintances think she is so quiet, gentle and sweet lol.
Anyway this constant complaining, jabbering and questioning distracts me to the point of near insanity. I can't concentrate on anything with her always following 2 steps behind me and never a moment's silence. I can't even escape long enough to go to the bathroom, she's outside the door talking, very much like caring for a child, that you are not allowed to correct or discipline.
Some days I think it won't be long before I have less mental capacity than she.
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