Holiday Spent

This afternoon, Ellen Rogin joined us on Your Caregiving Journey to talk about creating (and sticking to) a holiday spending plan. You can listen to our show via the player below. During the show, we offered suggestions on how to create your spending plan, how to communicate with family members if your spending plan changes (it’s less than last year, for instance) and alternatives to gifts. I’d love to...

We Break for Fall: Write Wednesday: How Will You Get The Word Out About Family Caregivers?

Today, as part of We Break for Fall!, we’re taking a break to write letters to get the word out about National Family Caregivers and the role of family caregivers. I asked G-J to share suggestions on you can do this: It’s National Family Caregiver’s month and you’d like to get the word out about this. Where do you start? First, determine your focus. Would you like to encourage family caregivers to...

Forgiveness, Gratitude and Love

Talking with a friend last night, she said to me, “Forgiveness, gratitude and love. If we have these, we’ll be okay.” It sounds simple, but requires conscious, constant work. With all of Mom’s considerable physical health setbacks, she has said, “Look at what I can still do!” Sometimes she has to spend some time grieving her loss and work through to the “glass half...

Just for Today

Today was a pretty good day. I got up this morning and felt alive for the first time in awhile. Maybe it was because of the ‘me’ time I have been having or maybe it was because I was tired of feeling down all the time. All that running around physically when mom was in the hospital took it’s toll on me and now it’s the emotional toll that is taking place. I am so used to feeling negative...

This Week’s Poll: How Do You Track Your Caree’s Medications?

In this week’s poll, sponsored by Caregiving.com and eCareDiary.com, we’d love to know: How do you keep track of your caree’s medications? Vote in our poll, below. How Do You Keep Track of the Medications Your Caree Takes?online...

We Break for Fall!: Today, What Will You Change?

We are creatures of comfort. And, sometimes we get so comfortable in a schedule or a routine that we don’t realize it no longer works for us. So, today, we wonder: What will you change in your schedule to make your day a little easier? It could be that you change how often you bathe your caree (from three days to two days) or when your caree has the last cup of water before bedtime or when you give yourself a...

It Is What It Is

Telling My truth Not so long ago, I watched Denise’s video “You’ll Be Okay.” One thing that really stuck with me was the phrase “telling your truth”. My truth seems to change from day to day and sometimes from moment to moment. Sometimes I really wish I weren’t here, doing what I’m doing. I have set up a routine that works for us, but sometimes I get so tired of the routine that I just want to...

How to Deal with Emotions

As much as I had such a great weekend, I noticed that it can all change in a heartbeat once something happens and my emotions come into play. How do you deal with emotions that are all over the place? Why is it so easy to go from happy to sad in an instant and then it takes days to go from miserable to happy? Last night something happened and I got upset about it. Because I don’t know how to deal with my...

We Are Not Alone

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one’.” -C.S. Lewis

Change

In a caregiving role, change means something kinda awful. Your caree has a change in condition, which impacts both of you in really sad and difficult ways. Your family changes because of the caregiving experience, which leaves you feeling lonely and alone. You change because of caregiving, perhaps becoming someone you no longer recognize (and, sometimes, like). So it’s understandable that you may view...

Tips For Family and Friends of Caregivers

Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post called, Invisible People. It addressed how caregivers are seldom, seen…heard from…or thought about. On my blogtalkradio show last week, I talked about this and I included some suggestions for non-caregivers of special things both large and small, that they could do for caregivers to make their day better and let them know they are not invisible. So, I would like to share...

Concluding Replacement Therapy, Finally!

11-15-10  Time to finish this blog post!  I have been at this one since August! Have I come to a conclusion, no…do I have a plan set up for replacing all the time and activities of caring for mom when she was here, no….has these past months been therapeutic in anyway, no. So, the purpose of this post?  Apparently it has none, or maybe this is just the result of all the thoughts, and non-moments and ideas...

We Break for Fall!: Today, How Will You Fall Into a Healthy Habit?

It’s tops on our list: Eating right and exercising. But, somehow, as the day (and days) go by, it stays on the list but not in our life. So, today, how will you make a healthy habit a part of your day? And, how will you make it easy on yourself so it really becomes a habit you fell into? Share in our comments section for a chance to win one of our beautiful gift boxes. And, congrats to Jo, who won...

Happy Moments in October

This is a picture of my husband and I with our local son’s children at the WI Dells the third week in October when we could still get my husband in the...

Reclaim What “Fits You”

My oldest brother seldom shares with me, or other family members. Last year, when  he was visiting, he was talking about he and his son’s relationship. He said to me, “I can’t figure out how I lost him. I feel like we were taking a walk in the woods and I lost him.”  I’ve thought about this statement since then, but particularly today. My brother lost my nephew because he was...

Another Beautiful Day

Today was another stellar day here in New York. The weather was not as warm as yesterday but it was still in the 60′s.   I decided to go with a neighbor to a shopping mall I had never been to. I always heard such beautiful things about it and really wanted to see it. When we got there I felt like I was on a tropical island. The mall was absolutely beautiful. We then decided to have a manicure/pedicure. ...

The Week That Was

I had too many appointments looming, so my brother’s friend (and sometimes caregiver), volunteered to take him to the doctor and to his lab tests. Since his friend is unable to drive, they took the bus. Later, his friend reported on the appointment. He was shocked that Wes did not know the doctor’s name. And when they came back, he didn’t recognize the stop close to home. Wes has re-learned his way around the...

We Break for Fall!: Today, What Will You Learn?

We break for fall starts today! Our week of special events hopes to help you find a new perspective or a better way. Every day for the next week, we’ll pose a question on Caregiving.com. We’ll choose a daily winner from those who post an answer; the winner will receive a beautiful gift box. For a chance to win, just post your answer each day in our comments section. Today, our question is: What will you...

Table Talk and My NYC Adventure

When Denise asked me the other day if I wanted to be a guest speaker on Tabletalk, I was hesitant at first. I have never done anything like that before and didn’t want to appear stupid but I decided to roll with the punches. A couple of times during the show, I couldn’t find the words to say but all in all I enjoyed speaking. I had wanted to listen to some of the other shows before speaking today but...

Having a Happy

It’s Saturday, the day we commit to embracing happy moments in our day. Be sure to tell us in our comments section how you had a happy today. And, on Table Talk, Meryl, our newest family caregiver to blog, joined me to talk about her caregiving experiences. You can listen to our show via the player below. Related Articles In Caregiving, Finding Happiness in the Details (caregiving.com) When the Bombs...

Dealing with Siblings Who Don’t Care

Since I have been a caregiver for my mom which has been quite a few years, I am having a hard time trying to understand why certain people only come around when bad things happen. My brother only comes to see my mom if something happens to her. If he calls her or visits, he’s very controlling and it usually ends up in an argument. I know it’s probably better to just not be bothered but it hurts to know...

Get Rid of the Bad Hands

I was watching the The Millionaire Matchmaker the other night. (I watch bad TV.) In this particular episode, the matchmaker worked with a poker player (a woman) looking for love. We followed the poker player on a date with a nice man, who asked her: What’s the trick to being a successful poker player? Quickly get rid of a bad hand,  she said. Bingo, I thought. That’s not just a poker player’s...