Happy Saturday!

On Saturdays on Caregiving.com, we do our best to take a break from stress and enjoy happiness, even if only for a few moments. So, after you take time for happiness, be sure what you do in our comments section. You’ll inspire all of us! Reminders We Break for Winter, a weeklong event during which you have a chance to win every day, begins tomorrow. Be sure to stop by Caregiving.com every day next week for...

Giving Care

The newness of my mother at times hollering out in the night is not so new anymore. Last night, she was hollering again to “Mama.” Still makes me feel nervous and sad to hear, but my reactions are becoming better than they were even  two weeks ago. (: As I came into her room, she was saying “heat.” I knew she was hot; she had started undressing. As I helped her change her pajamas and...

Decision Time Again

Well,  we are at a crossroads once again. Although Mom’s insurance has approved her stay at the nursing home for short-term rehab through Feb. 3rd, she is losing her mobility. Yesterday, things were looking up. I had a long meeting with the charge nurse, social worker, and physical therapist. The day before I had shown the physical therapist that Mom can walk (with her walker, cueing, a transfer belt and me...

Do They Know Your Name?

Carol Levine, a former family caregiver, wrote an opinion piece yesterday called “Health Care Typecasting—”Nobody Knows My Name!”. She writes: I’ve been professionally and personally involved in caregiving for the past 20 years. In that time many family members have told me, “I’m invisible in the hospital/nursing home/rehab facility.” “Invisible,” that is, until it’s...

Fly

Sometimes, we wish we could fly so we could fly away from a tough day, a tough time, a tough moment. But, we’re grounded with responsibilities. Caregiving and all its requirements lock you to land. What to do when you can’t fly and you can’t stand to stay in the same spot for another moment? Let it fly: A dream for yourself. Let fly a dream—just toss it out there and see what happens. What...

Update: Solitaire Showdown Is Postponed

Well… Our Leader Board for our Solitaire game is broken. My developer will have it fixed, but not until next week. Without our Leader Board, it’s hard to determine who’s winning. I had thought of a solution, but it was quite complex and confusing. I would have to make visits to your home to explain. I also would need to make diagrams. Instead, we’ll just postpone. So, Solitaire Showdown will...

What to Wear to a Clinic Appointment

Leopard print fur felt hat with large brown ribbon trim-Go Go Chapeaux, vintage cashmere camel jacket-yard sale,vintage jewelry, brown suede gloves and silk scarf-estate sales, brown ankle boots-gifted. The appointment today was with the Palliative Care Department, which felt like a ‘camel and brown’ day.  We were referred when Nelson was in the hospital and it seemed like a good idea to us because their...

Does Your Caree Use Technology?

This afternoon on Your Caregiving Journey, Harry Bailes of Family Health Network joined me to talk about technology and your caree. Specifically, how can you encourage your caree to use technology, like email? You can listen to our show via the player below. So, I wonder: Does your caree use email? Or, Skype? And, if he or she does, what has been the impact on your caregiving role? Program Note: Our next shows will...

Quick Update

Mom is still in the nursing home, probably until Feb 3rd. She is doing okay. Could write volumes about the nursing home experience, and may at a later date! My son (28 years old) has had a serious medical crisis. We have been fighting to save the middle finger on his right hand. Four ER visits in four days, plus two clinics. All agree, he needs a hand surgeon immediately…but no one could get him in because of...

A Caregiving Garage Sale, 1/29 and 1/30

What’s in your caregiving closet that you no longer use? No longer need? Do you wonder what in the world to do with those supplies, equipment, gadgets? Sell it in a Caregiving Garage Sale! We’re holding  garage sale on our new site, SharingStore.com, on January 29 and 30. For those two days, you can list as many ads for the stuff you want to sell as you want—for free, for three weeks....

The Decision to Place Robert

(Editor’s Note: With this post, we welcome our newest family caregiver to blog, Trish. Trish cares for Robert, her  disabled brother who has suffered from uncontrolled epilepsy his entire life. He lives in a residential care facility help.) The decision to place Robert in an assisted living facility was not an easy one. The decision isn’t easy for anyone but, to be honest, it was not only gut-wrenching for...

Strong Recoveries

Today, as many days are, was very rushed: with school, the health care aide, my mother, phone calls that needed to be made, or appointments scheduled. The day began with getting my mother dressed and ready for an outing with the aide, and then moved in to school which included mid-terms and a reading test for Marah with her teacher, via the phone. On to talking with the doctor at lunchtime about my...

A Journey of Gratitude–Over Lunch

In the fifty weeks leading up to my fiftieth birthday, I am acknowledging fifty people who have had an impact on my life. This is not the fifty people whom I love the most, although I am truly grateful for those family and friends who fill my life. Rather, I am having lunches with fifty people from the past fifty years who have inspired me with their words or actions. Fifty lunches is a journey of gratitude. What...

“It’s Okay. No, It isn’t”

I blew it big time today. Right after school can be an especially hectic time in our house. Some days our son gets home from school, changes his clothes and then I have to drive him to the local community college where the high school track team meets for part of their training before they run back to the high school. Today was one of those days. I was very proud of Steve because he went to the city’s senior...

This Week’s Poll: Who Would You Tell?

Last week, our #eldercarechat on Twitter tackled the topic of early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Our topic was inspired by a recent New York Times article, Early Alzheimer’s Detection, But When to Tell the Patient?. One of our chat questions was: If you received an early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, who would you tell? So, on the heels of G-J’s post about breaking the news, I thought this...

Strange Reactions

People have the most interesting reactions to news about health and caregiving. I first noticed this when I was my dad’s caregiver. I was able to tell by the expression on their face what they were thinking. There were the people who either were or had been caregivers and completely understood what I was experiencing. Then there were the others who were thinking that the quicker they could get away from me, the...

Can You Be Happy, When It’s Serious?

This morning on Your Caregiving Journey, Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, our happiness expert, joined us to discuss happiness during life’s serious times. When life becomes serious because of a serious illness, we might feel we must always be serious—that laughter and happiness disrespect the seriousness of life. So… how do we embrace happiness during our life’s dark times? Elizabeth encouraged...

Date Night

Photo by Nelson Vintage ’60′s jacket with large leopard print collar, green vintage gloves and black fabric beret-estate sales, Donna Karan boots, black ruched jeans-Gabriela Designs Denver. The Style Crone has to say that I really don’t know how we pulled this off. Nelson was not feeling well today with symptoms that were very uncomfortable and I will have to say a bit scary. But we have to eat and he...

Relationships

Today I decided to end my relationship with my boyfriend after two years. It is so hard to take care of me and my mom right now that the thought of taking care of him has just been so overwhelming. I have been through so much in the past two years between Mom’s health and my health that I just don’t have the ability to do it anymore. I decided in the next few months that I will be moving back to where I...

What’s Your Dream for Tomorrow’s Caregiver?

Image via Wikipedia On Caregiving.com, we regularly talk about your dreams for yourself. Because, as you know, it’s so easy to lose your life dreams in a life of caregiving. Today, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who taught us to dream big for today and for tomorrow. He showed us what’s unacceptable and then challenged us to be different. And, then, he shared his vision of a better life...

The Project of Caregiving

My dad always had challenging projects going on for himself. These pictures are  two of his projects. He built our first home, as well as a small camp on Sebago Lake. And, of course if you have a camp you need a boat… he built this little sailboat. He was always busy and full of energy. He didn’t talk a lot about his feelings, but was always willing to listen. I’m sure through his projects...

I Signed Up for This?!?

That’s what my son likes to remind me, usually when he’s gripping a leg and pulling while his sister is gripping an arm and pulling and the dog is looking like he’d like to grip something…if only he had thumbs. “…just remember Papa, you signed up for this…” Funny, I don’t remember the widower, single parent, caregiver, dog catcher clause in the plethora of forms I’ve signed over the years....