The Imperfect Caregiver

I read a recent post on another social media site from a woman who said her mother was repeatedly asking why her parents never came to see her. The woman in care is elderly and her parents have been gone for many years. The advice she received from a paid caregiver made me cringe and shout out NO!!!!!!! despite the fact that I was alone in my home and no one would hear me.

I am writing today to let my voice be heard loud and clear. Don’t Do It! 

So, here’s what the caregiver told her to do.

“Take your mother to cemetery to see their graves.”

Please DO NOT DO IT.  Imagine you have dementia and in your mind you are somewhere back in time, longing to see your parents, and someone puts you in a car and takes you to a cemetery to show you their headstones. Imagine the shock and pain you would feel. The grief would be as overwhelming as it was the day they passed and even if she accepts it in the moment she will forget and start asking again.

I suggest telling her something like this, “They are away right now and will visit when they can.”

What do you think of the caregivers advice and what would you say in that situation?