Beware…

…of losing your desire to take time away, and of that voice inside that tries to convince you that those times are not important and too much work to achieve. The saga of the missing home health aides in PA continues. I received a call on Friday afternoon that the new aide (we’ve been getting to know her for about three weeks now) is taking some time off, and that we are going to be receiving a...

We’ve Made a Decision About Our Home

After a month of exploring options about what to do with our home, which is currently uninhabitable because it is perched at the top of a huge landslide, we’ve come to a decision. We are going to throw our energies and resources into moving the house forward on our lot, away from the slide. We have also decided that we will put Mom’s house (right next door to us) on the market. We’ve been staying...

Whole Lotta Shaking Going On

Hubby is experiencing a sometimes strange behavior on a more frequent basis lately and I’m rather stumped by it. A behavior I had always been chalking up to cold chills, due to cold weather and a cantankerous heating unit spitting out cool air during the winter. Since been replaced, my pocketbook is still screaming. Hubby will begin shaking like he has a cold chill. He can’t control the shaking and...

Breaking for Two

Ever since I can remember I would always want my parents to see what I was seeing: On field trips, during special events at school, trips in college and even those particularly unique field trips that I would take my kindergarteners and first graders on. It hit me today that my mother can’t take a break anymore. She can’t take a vacation or have restful time away. The part that concerns me most for...

CareGifters: Giving to Liliana

Our third family caregiver we can help is Liliana. She cares for her mother, who suffered a brain aneurysm in 2009. Our goal is to raise $500 to help Liliana, who would like to return to college this fall to get a degree in social work and gerontology. You can help with your donation of $5. (If you want to give more, we’ll take more.) I’ve asked Liliana to share her three top challenges; they are (in her...

New Doctor for Mom

Yesterday afternoon, I spent almost 3 hours meeting with a new primary care doctor for my Mom. I think I’ve written about my numerous frustrations this year with trying to get information from Mom’s primary care physician’s office. I loved her old primary care physician as a person, and still believe that she is very caring, but there were so many problems with her orders being carried out and...

Table Talk: Jane

Jane, who cares for daughter, Nicole, joined me this for morning for Table Talk on Your Caregiving Journey. We spoke about her weekend and summer plans, caring for Nicole and how the CareGifters money seemed to be destined just for her. You can listen to our show via the post below. Enjoy! Listen to internet radio with Denise Brown on Blog Talk Radio Related articles CareGifters: Giving to Jane...

How Will You Play Today?

We end our We Break for Spring celebration as we began: Playing. You can play an instrument, play a board game, play cards, play tag or play a favorite song. Or, maybe you’ll take a playful attitude. You can play for a minute or two hours; it’s not about the time but about the doing. So, how will you play today? Share in our comments section for a chance to win a beautiful gift basket. Congrats to The Unit...

What Will You Learn Today?

Today, as part of We Break for Spring!, we commit to learning something new. It could be that you’d like to learn about a new resource or a new option for your caree. Or, you’d like to learn about a new technique that could make caregiving easier for you. Or, perhaps you’d like to take today to learn something new about someone, like your caree or another family member. Or, perhaps...

Someone Please Get Me Off This Rollercoaster Ride!

I am annoyed, frustrated and totally disgusted. Yesterday mom was released from the hospital around 5 p.m. I was glad I was able to be there at the time she was released so that I can get her all set in rehab and meet with the nurses and have everything taken care of before I left for my cruise. They seemed pretty nice and it looked like all was set. I went over every detail before I left and the nurse assured me...

Boring Mom…Always a “Catch”

There’s a Mom, who everyone knows, her kids are her life. She strives to give them the most normal childhood possible, but Daddy’s always sick and they never understand why, Mommy works all the time, and is always tired, the kids always hear: “No we can’t do this,” “Not this time, but I will make it up to you.” You have Dylan who will be 9 on May 24th, Amber who will be...

What’s Enough?

You are going to love the show that aired this morning. Laura Barrows, Psy.D. and licensed clinical psychologist, joined me on Your Caregiving Journey to talk about the question: What’s enough? (You can listen to our show via the player at the bottom of the post.) Laura shared the story of caring for her parents: Her father, her mother’s caregiver, became ill and died. Then, her mother declined. Within...

What Problem Will You Solve Today?

We all have one—that one problem (sometimes small, sometimes large) that we avoid. We see it, we know it’s there, we know it needs our attention. So, instead we watch TV, or call a friend, or read a book, or just fidget. But not today! Today, we solve it. We make the phone call, ask the question, find the receipt, make the decision, have it out, take the high road, begin the dialogue, commit to an...

Quick Update on Mom

Mom is still in the hospital from being admitted last Wednesday. Her blood pressure has been fluctuating and they also found her dialysis port was clogged so they needed to perform minor surgery to clear it. I am not sure how long she will be in the hospital for but hopefully they will be able to stabilize her pressure. I am officially on vacation and leave this Sunday for my cruise. I am really looking forward...

A Film About Alzheimer’s

Jo shared this video with me, which won Best Short Film of the Year – 2007 YouTube Awards. What do you think about the film? And, what kinds of films you would like to see about caregiving? Please share in our comments section, below.

Quick Note

Point One: The anti-pain med I’d mentioned was one we’d read about in The New Yorker about 6 months ago.  It’s called Provenge, and (get this) the cost is $93,000 for the real end stage care, typically about 4-6 months. 93k????????  Hard to believe those in drug manufacturing are in any way part of the “helping professions!” Point Two: I’ve been glad to see some of you write...

Me? A Caregiver?

My friends and I like to play a game called Secrets. It’s exactly what you think: We share little truths about ourselves that we suspect no one knows. Sometimes they’re serious, other times they’re silly — but no matter what, they’re surprising. The game is best when played with new group. Hi, new group. I’m Laura. Okay, I’ll go first. Secret: I’m not a real...

What Lesson Learned Can You Share Today?

We’ve been busy playing, growing and planting. Today, we take a break to reflect. Caregiving teaches. What have you learned? Have you learned to know that the saying “This too shall pass” says it all? Have you realized life is too short to waste on grudges? Have you gained an insight into your caree which helps you better understand yourself? Have you come to understand that everyone is wounded...

A Tool to Measure Pain in Persons with Dementia

I attended a workshop this morning called “Challenging Behaviors and Creative Responses” led by Dan Kuhn, LCSW and author of Alzheimer’s Early Stages: First Steps for Family, Friends and Caregivers. I learned a few tips, which I’ll share over the next few days. Today, I wanted to share a tool clinicians use to measure pain in persons with dementia who, as the disease progresses, often cannot...

What Seed Can You Plant for Your Future?

It can seem, because of caregiving, that your future is on hold. Certainly, some aspects must wait. The waiting provides the opportunity. So, today, what seed can you plant which will bloom in your future? For instance, can you research a trip? Begin a business plan? Start an exercise program? Take a online class? Make online connections that can help with a career change? It may seem like it’s on hold,...

Let Emotions Follow

Over the last couple of weeks, the challenges of dementia have continued to present themselves to my mother. She struggles with getting out of bed, struggles in knowing where to go in the room—yet feeling she has to “go” somewhere.  She struggles more with eating, and today at lunchtime just sat and stared blankly at her sandwich and the room around her, not knowing what to do. I hate this...

10 Minutes, Three Times a Day

This morning, on Your Caregiving Journey, Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, our happiness expert, gave us a prescription to feel better: Take a break for 10 minutes three times a day. (You can listen to our show via the player at the bottom of the post.) Given it’s We Break for Spring! week, I thought it would be helpful to talk about the impact of taking breaks—mainly those short ones we often think we...