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Re: Amy I'd love some suggestions!
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Posted by Amy C on October 30, 1999 at 17:29:07:
In Reply to: Amy I'd love some suggestions! posted by MyST on October 29, 1999 at 19:04:40:
The woman who prompted my original post was a bit of a hippie. She had draped her bed and walls with brightly colored Indian scarves and such. But hers was more an environment of celebration, and she was not really sick, just recovering from birth, so she did not have machines to worry about. If your aunt is toxic and scared, I would expect her to regress to a more child like state of mind. She would probably respond more to very primal, comforting cues. Familiar things, like a blanket from home or the faces of loved ones. Try to think of the things that would light up her face when she was well. Grandchildren (or pictures of them) often distract older people from their own suffering, if she has any. Also, if she is religious, religious symbols might make her feel comforted and protected. A visit or message from members of her church could really lift her spirits if she has one, and if you have any way of contacting them. I have seen religious faith pull people through things I would never have expected them to survive. And things to help remind her of the pleasures of life - for example, if she is a gardener, you could send her a calendar of flowers, the pages of which could be put up all around the room to cheer up the environment and make it less sterile. Music, if she enjoys it, can also reach people in the deepest states of disorientation. Take your cues from what she surrounds herself with at home (pets, plants, baby pictures, quilts?). Help remind her of who she is (besides "the liver failure in room 21"). Flat images or fabric which can be taped to the walls, and bedding that reminds her of home are things that should not interfere with her care or equipment. Also the little comforts of home that sometimes get forgotten amid all the medicine, like lotion for her hands, lip balm or lozenges to keep her mouth from feeling dry, are nice things to send if you can't be there.
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