Daughter Volunteers At Nursing Home So She Could Care For Her Dad With Alzheimer’s

• Nina’s dad was transferred to a nursing home in January for better care of his Alzheimer’s. 
• But when the lockdowns started due to the pandemic, it was difficult for her to visit him. 
• So she applied for a job in the facility just to be with her dad.

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When the lockdowns made it difficult for her to visit her dad in the nursing home, woman decided to apply for a job there so she could still take care of him.  

Nina Ambrose, 49-year-old mom of one, from Writtle, Essex, was so upset that she couldn’t see nor care for her dad, Roger, when the pandemic started. Her father was transferred to Chelmsford nursing home in January for better care of his Alzheimer’s disease.

So, after she was laid off from her job as an entertainer at Butlins Redcoat, she decided to apply as a volunteer events coordinator in the facility and has since been doing three shifts per week since April. After that, she can then visit her dad and care for him. 

“Without this my mental health would absolutely have suffered during lockdown,” the mother of one said. 

“It’s lovely and rewarding to do, gives me a routine, and I’ve been able to meet residents and staff at a time which has been very isolating for many. Plus I’m seeing that everyone’s dementia story and journey is different,” she added. 

Roger, who was a former lorry driver suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for 12 years, and his health has been rapidly declining for the past six months. 

“It’s been very hard,” Nina said. “Dad and I have always been very close, we’re like peas in a pod.”

Nina has been loving her job so far. She also discovered that music greatly impacts the overall disposition of people with dementia. They may have forgotten a lot of things, but music is something that triggers happy feelings and memories. 

“I wouldn’t have considered doing this job before, but this has absolutely inspired me,” Nina said.

Roger celebrated his 77th birthday on October 6, and they got for him a birthday cake. She also gifted her dad art materials because he loves art. 

His dad’s story was chosen for the Empathy Museum, London, among 20 others. She also posts updates about him on his IG account @rantsandbigpants in hopes that she inspires others with the same situation. 

She wants others to understand that living with Alzheimer’s doesn’t necessarily have to be unhappy all the time. 

“You can tap into what made people happy and the activities they once enjoyed at whatever level they can enjoy them now. I tell Dad the same joke every week and he laughs his head off,” she said. 

And that’s what people love about them — that they find ways to laugh.

Source: Good News Network