Show: Share Your Caregiving Personal Paradise

Where do you go when you want to get away and you can’t really get away? Your own sanctuary—a personal paradise. In our article, Making Room for Mom, we offer tips on how to protect your privacy when your care recipient moves in. One of our tips is to create your own personal paradise: “Whether it be a spare bedroom or a corner in the basement, make your own get-away, complete with your favorite...

Caregiving.com Turns 13 on August 3!

Image via Wikipedia We’ve having a birthday party to celebrate, but giving you the gifts. We’re giving away three presents (one a day for three days) on Twitter. The present? A Caregiving Tool Kit. The tool kit contains: An iPod Shuffle so you can download and listen to our talk show, Your Caregiving Journey; Take Comfort, Reflections of Hope for Caregivers by Denise M. Brown; The Caregiving Years, Six...

A Dementia Patient Hospitalized: What to Expect

By Paula Farris (Editor’s Note: On a regular basis, we invite health care professionals and family caregivers to write a guest blog. Today’s guest post is written by Paula Farris, a family caregiver, who offers tips on managing  your care recipient’s hospitalization.) For a person with dementia symptoms being hospitalized is challenging. In addition to the condition that caused the...

Nominations Accepted for Innovations in Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiving Legacy Awards

Prizes for Innovative Caregiver Programs in: Policy & Advocacy, Diverse Communities, and Creative Expression Nonprofit organizations, government agencies and universities are invited to apply for the 2009 Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiving Legacy Awards. The deadline to apply is August 14, 2009, 5:00 pm PST. With generous support from The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert...

This Week, Own It

(Editor’s Note: On Wednesdays, we share a journaling tip as part of our series, Journaling 101. This is tip No. 15.) You’re having a really bad day—because your care recipient is having a really, really, really bad day. No matter where you look, you just seem to see red. You didn’t want it to happen, but it did: You lost your temper (really, really lost it) with your...

Chance

Chance Once in awhile, you just have to take a chance. The best chance to take is on yourself. Take a chance that may lead to a new career, insight, relationship, resource. Because of who you are (loyal, loving, gifted and wise), you are deserve a chance. This week, chance it. You are worth the...

Tell Us: What Words Describe Your Caregiving Role?

Caregiving is hard. How hard is it to describe your caregiving role in just three words? We asked our followers on Twitter this question: Which three words describe your caregiving role? Their answers include: Hard. Rewarding. Frustrating. –from @TheGrandChick Poignant, heartbreaking, rewarding –from @ElderCareRN Exhausting, frustrating, trying! –from @MentalMakeover Beautiful, Truthful,...

Should Caregiving Have Its Own Diagnosis?

A new member of one of our online support groups recently wrote me with an interesting thought. “I think caregiving deserves its own diagnosis,” she said. Hmm… So, I asked Donna, who has a M.S. in counseling and cares for her mother, to expand on her idea. My questions and her answers follow. Caregiving: Do you remember inspiration for the idea of caregiving as a mental health...

Close Caregiver Relationship May Slow Alzheimer’s Decline

–Study believed first to document potential impact of emotional closeness on course of disease– A study led by Johns Hopkins and Utah State University researchers suggests that a particularly close relationship with caregivers may give people with Alzheimer’s disease a marked edge over those without one in retaining mind and brain function over time. The beneficial effect of emotional intimacy...

Ask Denise: How Much Do Home Health Aides Charge?

Dear Denise, How much do home health aides charge?  I am not sure what criteria are important.  Can you please guide me? I am very grateful for your help. Hello, According to MetLife’s Mature Market Institute, the average hourly rate of home health aides is $20 while homemakers/companions earn $18. Home health aides will have additional training that earns them a certification, which accounts for the hirer...

Book Review: “Love Equals Sacrifice: The Journey of Loyalty and Service”

By Lillie Hobson Lillie reviewed “Love Equals Sacrifice: The Journey of Loyalty and Service” by Michael Stidham. Our questions and her answers about the book follow. Caregiving.com: Did the book meet your expectations?  Lillie: I really had no expectations but after reading the book, I didn’t think it went deep enough into the issues mentioned.  Caregiving: What did you like? What would you like...

Ray

Just like the sun, we all have our rays. Your rays may be your support group, your spouse, your good friends, your garden, your books, your Bible, your journal. It may be any of these. But, it definitely is your soul. Your soul is your light. You...

Innovators Making a Difference in the Lives of Caregivers Honored

Yesterday, winners of the 2009 winners of the National Family Caregiving Awards, sponsored by the National Alliance for Caregiving and MetLife Foundation, were announced. The award recognizes community-based programs supporting family caregivers of older adults, rewarding innovation, effectiveness, and responsiveness to caregiver needs. This year’s award winners are: Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders...

This Week, Plant Your Seeds

(Editor’s Note: On Wednesdays, we share a journaling tip as part of our series, Journaling 101. This is tip No. 14.)   Caregiving means you concentrate on each moment—because you know each moment brings a new challenge. Having to adjust to each moment, though, can be exhausting.   This week, think beyond your moments and journal about your future. What do you envision for yourself in two years, five...

We’re Reluctant, But They’re Willing

Baby Boomers have a difficult time speaking to their parents about when to limit or stop driving, yet most seniors are open to talking about the increased safety risks they face on the road as they age, according to a national survey by Liberty Mutual Insurance. A number of recent news stories about serious car accidents involving senior drivers have brought prominence to this issue. These incidents underscore...

Ask Denise: How Do I Get Past Their Greed?

Denise - I wanted you to know that your suggestions of Don Miguel Ruiz and The Four Agreements began a wonderful spiritual journey for me.  Thank you, so very much!! I have recently become involved with Yoga and an “inversion table”….. continuing to fight for myself through this sibling war of who gets what and who’s in control when Mom’s still here…. it seems no one cares...

Take Care

You probably hear those words so often that you may feel numb to their meaning. Take care? How in the world do you take care when it comes to yourself? A few thoughts: Take care of yourself in your relationships, choosing to spend your time and energy on those relationships that rejuvenate, support, and when needed, reinvent you. Take care of yourself during your day, choosing the foods that energize you and an...

Go Green & Save Money on Adult Diapers in One Simple Step

by Gary Hirsch, adviser to online incontinence care products provider SecurePersonalCare.com. The following article, Go Green & Save Money on Adult Diapers in One Simple Step, originally appeared on Gilbert Guide and is re-printed courtesy of Gilbert Guide, Inc. Copyright © 2009, Gilbert Guide, Inc. The economy isn’t the only thing that could use a boost: so could your diaper. Past topics in this column...

Ask Denise: How Do I Move Forward?

Dear Denise, A year ago we were told that my mom had one year to live due to cancer. My younger sister and I did the caregiving. My other two siblings said that they didn’t have the time. I got laid-off from my job so I was able to be with my mom every day. My father didn’t believe how sick my mom was. My father still expected my mother to take care of him because he believed he was sicker. He had a...

What Would Gloria Say?

On Monday evening, I attended an interesting chat on Twitter (we used Tweetchat—it was great) about Women and Caregiving. You can view the transcript of the chat here. Much of the discussion focused on the reality of caregiving (it’s tough, sad and exhausting), the need for help (ask for it early, rather than later) and the inherent challenge of doing it while working (almost as impossible as a quick...

Taking the Load Out of the Laundry

Yesterday, on Your Caregiving Journey, we spoke with Jamie Goldberg, our aging-in-place specialist. She shared tips on how to make our laundry more caregiving-friendly. You can listen to the show via the player below. (If you have your speakers on, the show will begin to play automatically.) During our conversation, Jamie mentioned three manufacturers: Miele (http://www.miele.com): Makes RemoteVision, which alerts...

National Poll Indicates Broad Public Support for Long-Term Care Reform

Nearly eight in ten Americans are more likely to support a health care reform proposal that includes improved coverage for long-term care services A new survey released today shows that nearly 80% of people are more likely to support a health care reform proposal that improves coverage for long-term care services for seniors. Moreover, substantial majorities of Americans among all demographic groups, including...