Observing a day to celebrate and honor mothers is not necessarily a recent practice. Some have traced the practice back to the ancient Romans and Greeks. In the 16th century, "Mothering Sunday" was a holiday practiced by Catholic and Protestant churches where people would visit their "mother" church, or the church where they were baptized. This holiday also allowed those to honor their actual mothers by giving them gifts. These holidays are not the "Mother's Day" we are all familiar with today. In the early 20th century, there was a new holiday that was established by a woman named Anna Jarvis who wanted to honor her mother after having passed away. Eventually, this latter tradition is what is now known as "Mother's Day", which is celebrated during the month of May and involves a day where we take time recognize our mothers and the place they have in our lives. For those who wish to celebrate this holiday and would like to recognize their mothers, this holiday provides an amazing opportunity to let them know how much you love them. One aspect of this holiday that does not get mentioned very often is how can adult children express love to their mothers who have a degenerative neurological disorder, like Alzheimer's. Today, we would like to share some ways that family caregivers and adult children can express how much they honor and respect their moms.

 

Letting your mother know that you love them is less about buying them a gift and more about showing how much you care. In fact, if you are caring for your mother who may have a disease like Alzheimer's, then the best thing you can do to show love and appreciation is through your actions. Consider these examples:

 

Create a Meaningful Meal: This is a traditional idea, but it takes on a different form when you are caring for your mom. You can consider organizing a calm and relaxing meal at their place of residence, or you can host it at your house. You can even consider taking them out. The important thing to keep in mind with any of these options is how comfortable your mother feels in social situations given their current health condition. Make sure the environment is not overly stimulating, distracting, or loud, which are all things that can lead to confusion and agitation for people who have a degenerative neurological disorder

 

Music: Music reaches deep inside of us, evoking memories we may have forgotten about long ago. Current research is finding that music therapy can be very beneficial for patients with dementia since it helps alleviate stress, stimulates the mind, and evoke happy memories. If your mother is able and feeling up for it, you can even try to get her to dance around with you!

 

Make Gifts Tangible: If your mother has a degenerative neurological disorder, then make sure she can engage with the gifts you give her That is to say, make sure these gifts are mentally stimulating and form an active part in her life. For example, you can buy her something that is aesthetically pleasing to look at and to smell, like a floral arrangement. Or you can give her a comfortable blanket that is soft to the touch that she can use every day. Other ideas include, music albums, scented lotions, or photographs. Be creative and think about what your mother would appreciate best.

 

We hope that you can use these ideas to show your mother how much you love her this Mother's Day. This holiday should not just be an obligatory, commercial event, but a time that you spend to reflect seriously about those you love and what they mean to you.