Part of the work I am thankful to do in the death & dying space is to support an organization that trains end-of-life doulas. I participated in this training myself and I’m now lucky enough to support that organization’s larger work.
The Dying Year brings together individuals on a weekly basis who are interested in the endless topics of death, dying, grief, caregiving, and more.
Our speaker yesterday was Emerson Lee from Happy Memories Elder Support.
Emerson specializes in Dementia and Disability care for the aging and dying.
During the discussion, they shared with us tools for supporting aging individuals by resourcing themselves into happy memories including songs, foods, and passionate topics.
They encourage people to identify these moments before developing any form of cognitive decline.
The idea is that by identifying and sharing these moments of joy with our loved ones, we can access someone’s essence and help ground them into presence amidst difficult moments.
We can call on these memories in moments of crisis, like perhaps during stages of active dementia.
Having these moments of joy identified prior to moments of crisis can reduce anxiety for individuals and their loved ones and create a deeper connection right now to those in our lives.
This simple prompt inspired me and touched my heart so deeply as a way to get to know ourselves, our loved ones, and those we serve through the lens of simple moments of joy.
Not only for those who may have Dementia or Alzheimer’s but also for those struggling with mental illness, Autism, drug addiction… or literally anyone on a hard day.
I now plan to incorporate this from the very beginning with my clients.
Whether I am supporting someone in:
-processing grief
-gathering plans for end-of-life
-or preparing for a plant medicine journey
These tools are invaluable and I felt compelled to share them with you all.
Here is the prompt they created to begin this process:
Mine are:
Song: L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole, Food: Mac & Cheese, Topic: Italy, my nephew Otto, & Cannabis.
I’d love to hear what you come up with, I think you’ll find it’s hard to pick just one!
To learn more about Emerson of Happy Memories Elder Support, and their full offerings click here.
& to tune into the offerings and trainings with The Dying Year, click here.
Thank you for being here. <3
xx Lisa Marie
Excellent new offering to help people understand the health benefits of properly using cannabis!
Also, I'm sending this post to my daughter in AZ. Virtually every person in my maternal family has suffered vascular dementia. Given that I have been diagnosed with the plaque which contributes to the dementia and my daughter has volunteered (read: has insisted) to be my caregiver as I age, she needs to start learning about what to expect.
Thanks for another wisdom filled post, Lisa.