This month we had the pleasure of hearing from Patti LaFleur, former care partner for her Mom. Her story of caring for her mom is powerful, and we know you'll be touched.

Introduce yourself and share about your background. How did you come to be a part of the caregiving world?
I am the former care partner for my Mom, Linda, who had younger-onset mixed dementia. I cared for my Mom for three years in my home after my Dad was no longer able to care for her as her health declined. He ended up getting diagnosed with Vascular Dementia, which required me to provide care for him as well. He moved into an assisted living facility and I provided “long-distance care” to my Dad, while caring for my Mom in her home. My Dad passed in November 2021 and my Mom passed in March 2022, a month after a magical trip to Disneyland. We shared fun, love and joy together every day.

My Mom and I were meant to be. She adopted me and I reciprocated that love back to my Mom as her care partner....

Are you the primary caregiver or care partner for your loved one living at home? Perhaps you spend a few hours with a special older individual each week? If so, you may be trying to come up with some activities to do with them, and we've got a few ideas to share with you!

First off, how about getting your hands dirty with gardening? Try planting the easiest to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs. It will be rewarding to harvest them and to enjoy the fruit of your labor together. If you’re not interested in growing your own food, try growing flowers. Picking and arranging flowers could be another activity. If you’re not into growing flowers, just buy them from the store or farmer’s market and have fun arranging flowers together. If gardening and growing flowers aren’t working for you, how about simply going on nature walks? See what plants, flowers, birds, insects and other wildlife you can find. Bring a camera along, and take photos of the beautiful...