Caregiver | MySimpleC.com

Memory care. Assisted living. Nursing home. Continuing care retirement community. Skilled Nursing. Independent living. Residential care…the list goes on and on. Overwhelmed by endless options for eldercare communities, lots of us throw up our hands and avoid the topic until it’s absolutely necessary or just choose to muddle through on their own…even those who might be helped by residential care.

Obviously the time for a big change lies somewhere between “sure, mom’s doing well” and “I just don’t know what to do!” But when? How do you know?

Let’s look at how residential care decisions are made. I’d also like to learn about the decisions you’ve had to make early-on regarding future care options.

First off, I want to admit that, in the past, I’ve tended to support people living with symptoms of dementia living at home for as long as possible. To me, that meant someone would remain in her home until she had trouble with “Activities of Daily Life” (also sometimes called ADLs). That’s industry-speak for “things you do everyday”: getting dressed, using the restroom, eating, etc. Once she couldn’t take care of herself, then it’d be time to execute the back-up plan.
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Hi, welcome to MySimpleC.com.

My name’s Virginia Lynn Rudder (“Jennie Lynn” for short) and I work for a company, SimpleC, that’s using new technology to connect people living with dementia with their communities and to deliver personalized information, entertainment, and therapies set to an individual’s schedule. And largely succeeding, I might add.

But I’m not here to talk about that.

You can pop over to www.SimpleC.com if you’re interested in learning more, but we won’t be offended if you’re not. In fact, I’ll rarely even mention SimpleC. And if I ever do bring up a SimpleC product or service in the future I pledge to disclose our connection in the article, just as I’d disclose any other connection with a product or service I mention.

Because it’s not the goal of MySimpleC.com to sell you anything.

Seriously.

Over the years we’ve seen the same hard-won knowledge uncovered time and again in different environments, communities, homes. And, for the most part, that’s where it stops. There’s no effective way to share it.

The point of MySimpleC.com is to establish an online community that will connect professional caregivers with family caregivers, uniting people living with symptoms of dementia with high-level researchers with people just now learning that not all dementia is Alzheimer’s…and everyone in-between.

Why?

Because over the years we’ve seen the same hard-won knowledge uncovered time and again in different environments, communities, homes. And, for the most part, that’s where it stops. There’s no effective way to share it.

See, there are TONS of dementia resources out there but it’s hard to know which ones are worth reading. In fact, I just googled it: “dementia” brought up 10,200,000 results. “Alzheimer’s” netted 57,100,000. Sometimes there’s too much information and not enough guidance; this definitely seems like one of those times.

Just to be clear: I’m certainly not claiming to know all there is to know about progressive dementia. Sure, I’ve picked up a few helpful tips and earned some knowledge from The School of Hard Knocks…but I am acutely aware that it’s just scratching the surface.

We’ve seen a lot of dementia and how the same symptoms are approached in so many different ways, with such varying success. We hope to centralize that knowledge.

But in the process of compiling some of what we’ve learned (and wow do we have a lot to share in the upcoming weeks and months!) I realized that there’s a second component also missing in the digital dementia world: an open forum.

There needs to be a place that’s supportive yet honest, that’s neither woe-is-me nor persistently chipper, where you can ask hard questions and, even if they’re unanswerable, at least learn how others in your situation approached them. We need a place where it’s ok to be upset but not alright to be disrespectful. We need a place where caregivers whose loved ones have recently passed can connect with one-another and, if they’d like, share with those facing the battle they just fought.

I want this to be that place. We’re building this from the ground-up, together, and a lot of the initial discussions will take place in comments and through posts that you suggest.

Don’t worry, it’s not another person or entity demanding more of your time. Just…stop by when you can, and if you have a second, let me know what you think is good and what seems off or wrong.

Whether you’ve been diagnosed with a progressive dementia yourself (Alzheimer’s, Lewy Bodies, Parkinson’s, Mild Cognitive Impairment, vascular, …) or you’re the family or friend of someone who has been…it can be so overwhelming. I know it can. Not all bad, not by any stretch, but just such an unpredictable, continual challenge. And so isolating. Hopefully we’ll create a community that you can call your own.

So, we’re glad to have you; I hope you stay a while!

MySimpleC.com does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.