Have you ever tried to get through a day without laughing? It is difficult and definitely not very much fun. The same concept applies to caregiving. There are many highs and lows between your loved one and you; however, turning a hard situation into a funny one is one way to enrich your relationship.
Your first thought may be…shouldn’t we feel guilty about laughing since it can be seen as disrespectful? Or at the least seem insensitive? According to medical professionals, no. They insist that even in the most dire circumstances that laughter can help.
"Not only is laughing OK, it's absolutely necessary," says Cindy Laverty, a former caregiver who founded The Care Company, a first-of-its-kind forum that discusses the topic of care.
As a caregiver you are face an uphill battle. Finding humorous stories to give you the strength to move forward and keep an upbeat perspective can be the key to your survival. Laverty describes a perfect example of humor even in the most awkward situation.
'He couldn't balance well, due to the stroke. When he swung the golf club, I had to squat down and hold his belt, so he wouldn't fall. One time, he did fall…on top of me. We ended up in a very compromising position. His response was, ‘we have to stop meeting like this.' We both just cracked up. It lightened up the moment, and turned an awkward situation into a hilarious one.'
Not only is laughter fun and a great release of pent up energy and stress, it can give your loved one a cue that you weren’t upset with him or her during a challenging moment. In Alzheimer’s patients especially, it has shown amazing progress because it allows those patients to release some of their ambient tensions.
When you’re feeling down it might help you to remember that one funny moment or funny expression can turn your day around. You can be your own change and your loved one’s change.
J. Dietrich Stroeh is author of Three Months: A Caregiving Journey from Heartbreak to Healing (FolkHeart Press). For more information, visit www.threemonthsbook.com.
