{"id":2885,"date":"1999-01-01T12:00:00","date_gmt":"1999-01-01T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/care-givers.com\/articles\/bells-whistles-and-more\/"},"modified":"2021-06-24T20:03:50","modified_gmt":"2021-06-24T20:03:50","slug":"bells-whistles-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/care-givers.com\/articles\/bells-whistles-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Bells & Whistles And More…"},"content":{"rendered":"

For those of you who are caregivers to the frail elderly, bedbound or even “wanderers”, I may have a solution for you. When Mom first got in bed, I bought her a coach whistle to wear around her neck. In this manner, she could blow the whistle if she needed help or wanted to talk, and I could hear her up to 700 feet away!! This gave me a bit of mobility too, to step outside for a quick break or to wash a load of clothes.<\/p>\n

Also, I purchased a small bell for her to ring if she had a “request”, such as food, water, pills, etc. This way, I could separate the sounds and know what I was responding to. For a “RED ALERT”, when she was really ill, I got her a bicycle horn to honk (as she would have no way of yelling or speaking).<\/p>\n

To this day when I hear a bicycle horn in the stores, I think Mom is calling for me!! Also we installed baby monitors, one on the side of her bed rails and the other portable unit I kept by my bedside when I “slept” and on my person during the daytime hours. This way, Mom was never out of earshot and I could get to her almost immediately. In a roundabout way, it also gave me some “free time” when she was sleeping or busy with TV that I could rest or do household chores of my own, since we all lived in the same house.<\/p>\n

I was reflecting on all these noise makers today and suddenly realized, hey, there just may be SOMEONE OUT THERE IN CYBERSPACE who desperately needs this information or who thinks they are going crazy because they cannot run fast enough between the crises of their deeply loved, albeit confused, paralyzed or randomly oriented patient!! If YOU are the one who needs this, then this is your lucky day!! Help is on the way!! Let your EARS be where your EYES cannot and then you can take a little break from the overwhelming “seige of responsibility” which a chronic caregiver is subjected to – At any rate, I sincerely hope the “Bells and Whistles” theory works for you. It saved my sanity, literally!!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a92000 Dorothy Womack<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

These are relevant to me, even though they were written at various times throughout the past few years – To me, they summarize the times of the ‘Bells & Whistles’ in my life……Dorothy<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

EVERY TIME SHE CRIES<\/b><\/p>\n

Every time she cries, it breaks my heart in two
\nI sit beside her, knowing there is nothing I can do
\nTo ease her pain and suffering – or bring her back to me
\nI long to have her go to God – to finally be free –
\nBut I cannot, and so I watch, as days pass slowly by
\nI want my mother’s spirit to escape her frame and fly
\nTo where all those who’ve gone before are waiting yet to see
\nWhen my mother leaves my loving arms – Their arms, will open, be
\nYet time is passing frightfully too slow – and yet too fast
\nI cannot seem to hold onto the memories to last
\nMy lifetime – when my mother goes – And none is left, but I…
\nEven though I want her free – I’ll miss her, so I cry
\nBeyond my spiritual beliefs is still a human child —
\nPlease God, help me to understand this suffering – and while
\nI wait to see Your Faithful Hand at work – Help me to not ask why
\nBut accept Your Will in EVERYTHING —
\nEven those times when she cries……<\/p>\n

\u00a9 1999 Dorothy Womack
\n** Dedicated to Mom and also Momma<\/b><\/p>\n

PICTURE ME<\/p>\n

Picture me smiling \u2013 Not sad and forlorn<\/p>\n

For I’ve seen the morning \u2013 The darkness is gone<\/p>\n

I walk among angels \u2013 I have many friends<\/p>\n

I dwell in a world where life never ends?<\/p>\n

Picture me singing \u2013 A song of pure joy<\/p>\n

With children around me \u2013 Each girl and each boy<\/p>\n

No longer are shackled, in hurt and in pain<\/p>\n

All are rejoicing \u2013 All know great gain?<\/p>\n

Picture me dancing, twirling and free<\/p>\n

Living the way God meant me to be —<\/p>\n

Peaceful \u2013 Perfect \u2013 Contented \u2013 Serene<\/p>\n

Reality centered \u2013 This isn’t a dream!!<\/p>\n

Sound mind \u2013 Strong limbs \u2013 Integrity<\/p>\n

Pure heart \u2013 Confidence \u2013 True Dignity<\/p>\n

Reminded no more of earth’s misery<\/p>\n

When memories haunt you —-<\/p>\n

Please?.Picture me?.
\n
\n\u00a9 1999 Dorothy Womack<\/b><\/p>\n

DESTINY<\/p>\n

My daughter – Please forgive me, for what all this cost you
\nYou know I would never purposely inflict pain or grief on you
\nI couldn’t help what happened to either one of us
\nAll I can really tell you – Is, God Alone, to trust
\nI never had suspected that this would come my way
\nDidn’t even see it coming, as Iived from day to day —
\nBut come it did, and flattened everything that was in sight
\nLike a wrecking ball, destroying all the good – just like a blight
\nI know you watched true horrors, due to what occurred to me
\nBut God hid me in spirit, somewhere in Eternity —
\nSo that I escaped the terrors that you alone would bear
\nI’m sorry that this hurt you – took you way beyond repair –
\nBut yet, inside, I know you – The strength that lies within
\nYour beliefs are solid – They’re rooted deep in HIM –
\nI see inside, your sadness – You’re lonely, to this day
\nBut life is still within you – YOU haven’t gone away!!
\nYou still have things decided before you yet were born
\nTo accomplish for the Saviour – and crosses to be borne –
\nSo do not resist His calling – But, His Servant, always be
\nRemember you’re not doing just for HIM, or you – but ME
\nYou are MY voice cast outward – as well as GOD’s, you see
\nSpeak forth sans hesitation – and OUR mouthpiece, be
\nAnd though you’re prone to question – and deep depression too
\nFight hard to stay above it – For God’s looking after you
\nAll that you witnessed happen to me was long ago
\nI ask you now – Step forward – You have places yet to go
\nMy life on earth was ending just as yours was at its start
\nKnow always that I’m with you – I live within your heart
\nStep out in faith, believing, that no harm will come to you
\nFor Christ Himself is leading – His Promises are true
\nFor if I had not left you the way, I did – Today
\nYou would not be the person God ordained in every way
\nPlease realize so much depends on who you’ve yet to be
\nReach out and tell the others – That those who hear, go free
\nThis never was a vain thing for you – But life itself
\nYou cannot cease to function – Sit idly on a shelf
\nAwake, get up, start moving – As God would have you go
\nBecause you know CHRIST loves you…..
\nAnd I, too, love you so………..<\/p>\n

\u00a91999 Dorothy Womack
\n<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let your ears be where your eyes cannot and then you can take a break from the siege of responsibility which a chronic caregiver is subject to. There are different types of noise makers that could make a caregivers’ life easier.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[1080],"class_list":["post-2885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-caregiver-issues"],"authors":[{"term_id":1080,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"dorothy-womack","display_name":"Dorothy Womack","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/care-givers.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/care-givers.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/care-givers.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/care-givers.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/care-givers.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2885"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/care-givers.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4664,"href":"https:\/\/care-givers.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2885\/revisions\/4664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/care-givers.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/care-givers.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/care-givers.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2885"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/care-givers.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=2885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}