Your Dying Spouse 390 - Caregiver, Bring The Light {#write31days}

While it's incumbent on the caregiver to carry the light of Christ to and for his or dying wife or husband, this is about something different...

Physical light.

One of the things I recently noticed during a recent power failure was that not having a light source at hand can be really inconvenient for a patient, and can also be dangerous.

Using the loo isn't a matter of convenient timing for me; if I need to go, right now, then I need to go.

Right now.

And if I did not have a flashlight near at hand, it would have been messy.

And perhaps also dangerous, because sometimes I'm often quite unsteady on my feet, and a fall could cause a setback from which there's no recovery.

So, dear caregiver, some suggestions...

• Make sure your spouse has access to a light source at all times; you might be away from home, and he or she may depend on that far more than a healthy person would. You can use flashlights, a mounted fixture that will go on when the power fails, and lightsticks (the flexible plastic tubes that glow for about eight ours when you active them by bending.
• Don't depend on candles. Shaky hands can make lighting a candle dangerous, and a patient can fall asleep (or pass out) and fail to extinguish a candle burning too low.
• Even without a power failure as the 'driver', increase the lighting you have in areas where they may be needed. Use night-lights in the hallways and bathroom, and perhaps an under-the cabinet light or two in the kitchen.
• Glow-in-the-dark lightswitches can also be very helpful

There's another aspect to light - and that is that someone close to death may find the dark oppressive. Allow for that where you can; it's very lonely to feel the pain of a terminal illness while waiting out a very long night. ight bring a measure of hope and cheer. This can be tough if your're sharing a bed; Barb now has her own room, partly because of my need for light (she also needs a peaceful place to sleep, and I get up a lot because lying own for any period of time hurts).

Light's important; be the messenger of the Light in spirit, but please look for ways to provide it in the practical sense.

So now over to Kari Jobe, with We Are.

My #write31days posts so far are:

October 1 - Worship For Caregivers

October 2 - Talk To A Caregiver

October 3 -  Create A Caregiver Haven

October 4 - A Caregiver's Raw Hope

October 5 - A Caregiver's Trust

October 6 - Caregiving For Our Country

October 7 - Caregiver, Don't Hold Too Tight

October 8 - Caregiver, You Will Find Freedom In Truth

October 9 - A Caregiving Plan?

October 10 - A Caregiver's Listening Heart
October 11 - Caregiving Remembrances?
October 12 - Caregiver, Write It Down!
October 13 - Taking Care Of God
October 14 - Caregiver, Don't Try Too Hard
October 15 - The Caregiver Will Remain
October 16 - Readings For Caregivers
October 17 - Caregiver, Grow A Thick Skin
October 18 - Caregiver, Share Your Heart
October 19 - A Caregiver's Brave
October 20 - Caregiver, Give Hope

I do ask that you be patient with my slow replies to your comments (which we treasure). I'm trying to stay caught up.

Still hoping to get the new and improved version of Blessed Are The Pure Of Heart up and running in the near future. Just haven't had the energy to do it yet...but if you would like to read it, please say so in your comment and I'd be glad to send you a PDF (which should fit your Kindle).

I have another blog, "Starting The Day With Grace". The focus is a grace quote from someone you might not expect (like, say Mick Jagger) and a short commentary. I hope you'll join me.

Marley update... been moved to a sanctuary, and Bay County will revise their 'dangerous dog' codes.

WE MADE A DIFFERENCE!

And marley has a Facebook page! Please drop by to see how happy he is today.

If you can, please do leave a comment. I am trying to answer all, and I am failing, but please know this - I read and treasure each one.

Below are my recent releases on Kindle -please excuse their presence in the body of the blog. I haven't the energy to get them up as 'buttons' in the sidebar. You can click on the covers to go to the Amazon links.