As an Alzheimer's disease support group facilitator I am required to have my attendees complete an annual survey that is shared with our local Alzheimer's Association as well as then sent on to national headquarters. These are private - no names required - and to maintain privacy of my group members, sometimes I scan a few of the answers and on other years I simply slip them into the mailer and send them on their way.
One of the questions I glanced at this year asked about loneliness, something like, "Does attending a support group help you fend off loneliness or the sense of being alone?" I felt I had been doing a fairly good job about welcoming, caring for, and assisting my caregivers, but their responses reflected the deep loneliness they felt as they traveled the Alzheimer's Trail.
I thought deeply about this - What can I do? How can I change this sense of aloneness? What is truly meant by loneliness? While I will include these questions during discussion at my support group meeting next week, for now I am left with pondering this emotional hole. First, what is loneliness? Is it the alone feeling that remains as a loved one descends into the depths of dementia? Is it the sense of abandonment as family members shy away from encounters with the loved one with dementia? Is it the blasts of advice that are delivered by (primarily) well-meaning friends when just a compassionate pat or hug would do so much more to alleviate the pain? Is it feeling alone in a crowd? Is it feeling alone when in a solitary place? Is it a state of mind or a state of being?
Loneliness and aloneness will be the focus of next few blogs. If you have insight and information to share, please do so. Thanks in advance.
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