Mom Will Be Out of Rehab Next Week

Hi all, Mom had her dental appointment yesterday. We thought she was going to have to have the tooth pulled that her partial hooks onto, and that it was the source of her infection. It turned out, the tooth was fine! It was her gum above the tooth that was infected. Because she needs premeds for any dental treatment, and had taken them yesterday morning, they fit her in for a cleaning (which was overdue because of...

Tell Us: Do You Have Regrets?

The New York Times (“What’s Your Biggest Regret?”) shared results of a recent survey on regrets. Researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (my alma mater) conducted a survey of 370 adults and asked them them to describe one memorable regret. The article lists these results: The most common regret involved romance, with nearly one in five ...

Hope For Today :)

It’s raining this morning. My son meets a friend and they walk to school together through a park which is attached to the school’s fields. I walked the same route yesterday when it wasn’t raining and ended up with wet feet. Between the rain and the wet grass, the boys would be soaked by the time they got to school, so I called the other mom, and let her know that if she could get her son here by...

Making Friends

I’m happy to report that Days 2, 3 and 4 of Program went just as well and Robert even had the van transport (to and from!). He told me after his first day that he had met an “Eric” who was very nice and polite. On Day 2 Robert again told me he met an “Eric” in the van who also was nice and polite. I don’t know if there are two Erics or if, as Denise suggested, there is one...

Taking the Wall Down…For Good (:

I have always tried  to be as independent as I could–probably sometimes to a fault. This independence, to a degree, has included my husband as well, which, I am learning, is probably not one of the best choices I’ve ever made. (: Last night it occurred to me that I could no longer be a caregiver here without Greg’s help. He has begun helping more and more with the kids, and...

All Blinged Up and Nowhere To Go

I think I have mentioned one time (or maybe 2) before that Hubby has a collection of old junk jewelry and watches. There was a time in his life when he bought and sold jewelry and scrap gold. Now probably to many this sounds like a wonderful opportunity to grow my collection of my own bling, but truth be told, I’m not much of a bling kinda gal. I learned to avoid this when Hubby actually had to sell some ...

Webinar Follow-Up: What Will You Let Go?

In yesterday’s free webinar, “Surviving Caregiving: Letting Go” we looked at how holding on too tight may make a caregiving experience that much harder. We talked about how we may hold on to 1. What was; 2. Expectations; 3. Definitions. We also considered what we gained in letting go: Solutions, Peace and Success. (Did you miss our webinar? No worries! You can listen to a recording of our webinar here.) I...

Who Has Taken a Chance on You?

On my continuing Journey of 50 Lunches, I am recognizing people who saw something in me that I may not have yet seen myself…and, they took a chance on me. A year into college, I knew that I wanted to have a successful marketing career. In fact, I pursued an internship at IBM, at the start of my junior year. You have to understand….I was not a particularly outgoing person, at the time. I nervously went...

When Hiring Help, What’s Your Deal Breaker?

When you’re hiring a caregiver, what’s the deal breaker? What trait or characteristic of the caregiver means you won’t hire him or her? Perhaps your deal-breaker is that a caregiver doesn’t have experience caring for a person with Alzheimer’s and your caree has Alzheimer’s. Maybe your deal-breaker is that the caregiver doesn’t have a car and you need the caregiver to...

Birthday Cape for 68

The Style Crone adorned herself with a vintage navy wool cape with off white trim embellished with gold sequins and white beads accessorized with a vintage navy velvet hat with round navy sequins for the bittersweet celebration of her 68th birthday. As we left for dinner at our favorite restaurant, I took Nelson’s arm and walked down the steps of our front porch with the cloak which reflected his regal nature and...

Forgiveness, Part 4

This morning, Anna Stookey joined me on Your Caregiving Journey to talk about what forgiveness means to her and to share her story of forgiveness. You can listen to our show via the player at the bottom of the post. Anna suggested that we gain a better understanding of forgiveness by breaking the word down: The core of forgiveness is give. In forgiving, we give back the wrong rather than taking it on. Anna shared...

Tell Us: What Fear Have You Conquered?

I think that caregiving can be one of life’s most fearful experiences. There’s so much to fear because it feels like there’s so much to lose: Your caree’s health, your health, your caree’s money, your money. It’s all very scary. Think back, though, to how you were before caregiving. Think about a fear you had. Do you still have that fear? Chances are, you’ve conquered it...

Robert’s Very Good Day

It has been seven weeks since Robert left his Old Home which filled his days with movies, music, reading circle and bingo (and filled his fridge with Milky Way candy bars with every bingo win!). Nothing was going to prevent me from getting Robert to Day Program today. Not a visit to the ER, not a bandage still wrapped around his head, not the van transport not being set up. I arrived early to Robert’s New Home to...

Day Five of Rehab

Long story short, we’re right back to where we were in January at the other nursing home rehab stay. Mom had a new physical therapist yesterday and today. He told me that yesterday that he’d tried to get Mom up on the parallel bars and that she was not mobile. She can’t grip parallel bars because her left hand is contracted. I asked him if he could help me get her up on her four-wheeled walker so...

The Caregiving Years, 4th Edition

It’s out!! The fourth edition of The Caregiving Years, Six Stages to a Meaningful Journey is ready for purchase! The Caregiving Years walks you through your caregiving experience, offering tips on what to do today and how to prepare for tomorrow. I came up with the idea of staging the experience fourteen years ago as I was trying to best answer the common questions asked by family caregivers: Why me? Why now?...

Tick

It may seem that life has become ticks. It’s the tick of the clock. The ticks off your to-do list. The ticks mark your time and the spending of that time. Those ticks can sometimes become your nervous ticks, as you worry and fret about what to do and how much time you have to do it. Let the clock tick. Keep ticking off items on your to-do list. Calm your nervous ticks by knowing that time moves on...

A Stormy Sunday Morning in the ER

Well, this New Hospital is growing on me. Yes, Robert was in the ER again this morning with another laceration on the back of his head. (For someone who wears a very hard helmet, he sure bangs his head a lot). Let’s recap the day although I’ll tell you the ending first so you don’t worry – Robert is fine. (There go my hopes for a career as a suspense novelist!). It’s early Sunday morning, the dogs have...

Fun on a Sunday Evening (Not What Most People Would Think Of)

Well, my husband and I have just spent an hour playing with Mom’s beds (one in the living room, one in her bedroom), lift recliner, power chair and the Hoyer lift. My husband was “the body”, because I had to figure out if it was possible with one person. The good news…it is. Much easier with two people, but it can be done. Of course, his body is a whole lot more flexible than Mom’s,...

And The Survey Says…!

Thank you all for your input on my recent question.  I was interested in what other people had to say because I was wondering if I had handled the situation wrong.  Just as Steve and I are still waiting for the manual on our son, I am waiting for the manual that should have come with Steve’s health problems.  Although with the recent change in diagnosis from MCI to LB, I’m not sure if I actually need a...

Crossroads (But Better Report than Last Sunday)

My mom is still in the nursing home for rehabilitation. Because of all the hospitalizations, her mobility has declined to the point that she is a two-person transfer. It has been tough enough to provide 24 hr care for the past five years with one person at all times. Without unlimited financial resources, I haven’t found a solution that allows two people here at all times, except at night. She is very...

Me Talking to Me

I was my guest today on Table Talk. You can listen to our show via the player at the bottom of the post. I gave you an update and preview of what’s going on Caregiving.com. It’s a 15-minute show so I hope you’ll have time to listen. And, remember to help Kristin! Our CareGifters program turns you into a gift for a family caregiver: Donate $5 to help! You can read our Kristin, our first recipient...

I’d Really Like Your Opinion

If you’re reading this, I’d really like your opinion.  I’m going to tell you about a situation, give you a few choices, and in a few days I’ll explain more.  You may pick as many answers as you’d like. My husband told me the other day that he was trying to find his socks and had to open four drawers to find them.  FYI, we’ve lived in this house for over 10 years and the socks...