I want to pass on a link sent to me by my friend Caregivee, who has become my friend and conscience:

Caregivee sent me information about a new British study, “Carers’ diaries in dementia: Is there a role in clinical practice?”

I cannot verify the validity of this scientific study, which compared information recorded by 78 caregivers in daily diaries to what information caregivers gave in retrospect, but I was particularly struck by one conclusion:

“Our findings suggest that there may be a potential use of carers’ diaries in the assessment of dementia, in that they may identify more problems compared to relying solely on the retrospective account of patients and carers in clinic. More research using carers’ diaries in dementia covering longer period than a week may be required to ascertain other benefits.”

This study seems to suggest that by assembling the details from the diaries of many caregivers’ daily experiences–those small problems and/or solutions  that we forget about once they’ve passed, those fleeting reactions, those moments of clarity–health professionals may find ways to help caregivers improve caregiving and make the experience better for caregivees. We can use all the help we can get.

Although I may write here about my anecdotal experiences with some regularity, I have never been good about keep an actual diary. Perhaps I should start.

(But no promises that I can keep it up.)