When my grandmother was in her final stages I made sure to prepare my visit. I had cue cards for myself as I knew the conversation would be more of a monologue. I printed off all kinds of pictures to show her. It was tough for me as she was in Brandon and the rest of my family was in Winnipeg; so often my visits were as I was passing through and I was alone. I found it much easier to visit with other family members, as we could have a "family conversation" and she could sit back and enjoy having company there.
Don't take it personally when she doesn't recognize you. My grandmother went from knowing who I was but forgetting my name, to not being sure who I was (but remembering I was somebody she loved; like my dad or my brother in law), and eventually she had no idea who I was.
Also keep in mind you don't have to have "new material" for every visit. I would talk about the same stories or shared memories each visit.
Get to know her support staff, as they might have questions that will help them deal with her. My grandma would forget how much she loved ice cream until somebody put a dish in front of her. She had also told some fantastic stories to the staff, and I was able to tell them which ones were true, and why some of the false ones were stories. (She always dreamed of a "trip around the world", and then in her later stages would talk about the things they had done on that trip.)
|