Dementia and Lady-Links: Making Circles of Love

 

 

Do you remember learning to count and to identify letters?  What about shapes?

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For those of us who remember our grade school arithmetic classes, we think of a circle as a geometric shape.  Yet, a circle implies so much more when we interpret it with the wisdom that age brings.

In a circle there is no beginning and no end.  It goes on forever.  That’s what friendships do.  They represent a relationship in which everyone benefits, much like our Lady-Links visits to our dear friends.  We’ve said this before, but we Lady-Links enjoy the visits as much as our dear friends with dementia do.  We spend time together as girlfriends, not as a teacher and student nor as a caregiver and patient.  We are friends, simply enjoying sharing stories, activities, and thoughts as we spend time together.

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An inspiring internet post,  referenced below, explains that “a circle brings people together in a social and bonding setting.”  The post continues, “when we sit in a circle, there is no hierarchy, no head of the table.”

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At our Lady-Links visits, we include our dear friends as peers while we sit in a circle having fun being together.  Of course we do some preparation for the visit.  Of course we plan activities that they can accomplish.  Of course we have studied and learned about the progression of dementia and how best to handle communication.  But when we arrive at the visit, what is seen by our dear friends is a circle of love filled with friends who care, which represents exactly how we feel.  Yes, we are prepared, but we do so with love and respect for our dear friends.

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We make our circle about relationships, not geometry, that creates and strengthens the bonds between us!

    • http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/2017/07/dementia-care-the-inspiration-of-circle.ht

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