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An Interview with Jane Seymour

Jane Seymour:  She had a stroke ultimately, and it was devastating because then you can’t move at all and you can’t speak. My sisters were the angels there because I lived in America and she was in England.  I popped in and out, and I was on the phone.  You know what?  A lot of times when people are bedridden, even when they can’t talk, you can talk to them and touch them and, you know, stroke them and massage them and put nice smelling creams and lotions on them.  There are all kinds of things you can do.  We really were able to communicate, believe it or not, even though she couldn’t move and she couldn’t talk.  She totally understood everything we said and she wanted to be kept abreast of everything that was going on.
 
Gary Barg:  That’s a very important point.  If your relative lives out of state, just calling once a week does a world of good for your loved one who’s ill.
 
Jane Seymour:  Yes.  You just want to be involved with the world.  You just want to be a part of it.  You don’t want to feel that because you’re sick and immobile that nobody cares about you anymore.  And it’s very simple.  A phone call—a visit, of course, is even better, but a phone call can work wonders.
 
Gary Barg:  What would you say is the one most important piece of advice you would have for family caregivers?
 
Jane Seymour:  Make sure that you are able to function at your highest level because unless you are functioning well, you can’t possibly take care of anyone else.