Module 3 Lesson 2. Making time for pleasant activities Let’s see how Amy, Jose, and Umit experience caregiving and the importance of planning pleasant activities. Amy Amy takes care of her mother who is living with dementia. She dedicates most of her time to caregiving and rarely takes time for herself. She does not engage in any pleasant activities. Amy notices that recently she is more tired than usual and feels that she is not able to care for her mother as she did before. Jose Jose takes care of his brother who is living with dementia. Jose does not get a lot of sleep and rarely has time for afternoon naps. He recently started asking his sister to come by and help with caregiving so he can take a nap and read a magazine each afternoon. Umit Umit takes care of his wife who is living with dementia. Recently, he has hired a professional carer who stops by three times a week to help him care for her. When the professional carer is there, Umit reads the newspaper or goes for a walk. Keep in mind If you are not able to make time for yourself, you can get very tired which may make you less able to continue providing care. You can ask family and friends to help care for the person living with dementia so that you can take some time for yourself. If it is affordable, you could hire a professional carer to help you care for your family member or friend so you can take some time for yourself.