Freedom

"To be free from the bondage of fear, superstition and want, the mind must be riveted on freedom." Ernest Holmes

Over the course of human history, much personal sacrifice and comfort has gone toward assuring more freedom.  We can think of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, or Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the personal sacrifices each of them made to provide greater rights and freedom for many.  What does that have to do with caregiving?  As caregivers, one of our goals is to provide as much freedom to our loved one as the situation warrants.  Yesterday, when I visited my loved one, I was struck by the compassion and proactive stance of one of the staff toward my loved one.  She thought his discomfort might be caused by the need to use the toilet, and she incorporated making the toilet available to him at times when he was uncomfortable but unable to say why.  I  expressed appreciation to her and then told the director of her compassionate approach.  She was providing a structured sense of freedom for my loved one, and that is to be applauded.  Freedom from discomfort can be one of our goals for our loved ones, and sometimes that discomfort can be remedied in the most basic of ways.