Our live call-in talk show airs at 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. CT, 4:30 p.m. PT) tonight! We’re taking your answers to this question: What’s scary about caregiving? (Our show aired last night; you can listen to our show via the player below.)
Call (646) 652-4944 to share during our live show. Or, join our show’s chat room to post your insight. If you’re on Twitter, you can tweet during the show using this...
But I’m finally back! I’m ready to get back into my life. After spending a week in California I am finally back to reality. It was great to get away, but I missed my routine and family.
I feel like so much has happened since I last wrote, but nothing as important as my mom’s health improvement. She has continued to go to physical therapy twice a week. About a month ago her therapists thought it...
I apologize if this blog is a little “under the weather” this morning. We’ve had a couple of trying days and I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m just tired.
After having the week-end to continue to process Hospice’s evaluation and conclusion, I was feeling better. Attributed to this was the behaviors I saw in my mother over the last couple of days. She’s been so scared...
For my trip to my brother’s Memorial Service and to support my sister-in-law, niece and nephew, I had packed several sets of casual but nice clothes plus a dark blue suit and tie combo for the actual Service. I had made sure everything was clean, pressed, packed in my garment bag and staged in my bedroom the night before departure… where they remain.
Yup, traveled all the way to the airport and was...
After the nurse from Hospice left yesterday, it seemed as though what was happening was just adding help…and yet I knew what was happening meant so much more.
It’s difficult to see the decline in my mother if she is sitting in her chair; it becomes so evident when she has to complete a task.
This morning I began listing in my head what she could do. Does she really need Hospice care?
She can put her...
Posted by
G-J on Oct 14th, 2011 in
G-J's Blog |
5 comments
Last Saturday evening, Steve and I attended our son’s first field tournament of the season. We went to all of them last year, arriving in time to see the other bands in their division and staying through the awards.
We left the house at 5:30 and arrived in our seats with fifteen minutes to spare before the band stepped off. We saw all the bands in Divisions 4A and 5A and the exhibition by the host band. As they...
Posted by
Trish on Oct 14th, 2011 in
Trish's Blog |
7 comments
I have been trying to capture one of Robert’s seizures on video for a while. I thought it would be one way to raise awareness about seizures and make them (hopefully) a little less scary. I kept waiting for the just the right opportunity to get the “perfect” seizure (which, to me, meant Robert was sitting down, I was able to capture all of it, the surroundings were very calm and serene, my house wasn’t a...
The New York Times Old Age blog featured an interesting story yesterday (Caregiving’s Hidden Benefits).
Caregiving has some interesting benefits. Consider:
1. Family caregivers have a lower mortality rate than non-caregivers.
2. Family caregivers are physically stronger than non-caregivers.
3. Family caregivers scored better on memory tests than non-caregivers.
4. Caregiving can lengthen your life. (You can...
Our Chicago Marathon took place on Sunday.
On Tuesday night, I had a dream I ran, and finished, a marathon. I ran it in four hours, 50 minutes. I also ran it without having run more than three miles on any previous run.
Today, I wonder: Was that really just a dream? Or, is that what we really do in life? Is it possible to accomplish so much without much training?
Think of what you do every day. Think of what you...
Posted by
Denise on Oct 13th, 2011 in
Denise's Blog |
2 comments
I was recently contacted by Elizabeth Fromm, an author working on a book for family caregivers. She’s looking to interview a a variety of family caregivers about their caregiving experiences.
If you’d like to share your story with Elizabeth for inclusion in her book, send her an email: emcfromm at sbcglobal.net.
Posted by
Jane on Oct 13th, 2011 in
Jane's Blog |
3 comments
Today is Nicole’s last pulmonary rehabilitation session. We have been going twice a week for the last four and a half weeks. She will have another six-minute walk test and then our last educational class which is on stress management… something that I definitely could use.
On the first day of rehab she did a six-minute walk test in which she walked 710 ft. I am so hoping that she will improve this...
How do you help someone feel welcome when they don’t know where they are?
This morning my mother asked the aide if I was someone who was normally here. “We don’t use her much, do we?” my mother said.
Marah continues to have a difficult time adjusting to school. There is one particular aide at the school that does not take the time to get to know the kids, but definitely takes the time...
Posted by
Jennifer on Oct 12th, 2011 in
Jennifer's Blog |
16 comments
As fall settles more firmly into New England, we had the opportunity to spend a few perfect days at Paul’s parents’ home on Cape Cod. The weather in mid-October was better than our August visit and with fewer people in the area our travels were much more pleasant.
Last Wednesday Paul started chemo with Taxotere and had no major ill effects for his first outing with it. During this visit with his parents...
Last week, my niece, Sarah, joined me on Your Caregiving Journey to continue our conversation about managing culture shock. When you land into the life of caregiving, it’s a huge culture shock. Sarah shared the coping strategies she learned from living in a small town in Poland for two years. You can listen to our show via the player at the bottom of the post.
In an experience where so much feels and sounds...
Posted by
Kathy on Oct 11th, 2011 in
Kathy's Blog |
15 comments
I think I’m sick.
If I’m not there has to be something wrong with me.
After all, it’s JUST a phone call.
A much needed phone call.
So why can’t I bring myself to pick up the phone to make the call to the V.A. and inquire about setting up respite?
I’m afraid, but of what?
Respite is VITAL to the well being of a caregiver.
When Hubby was first diagnosed in 2007 the Social Worker had...
Posted by
Jane on Oct 11th, 2011 in
Jane's Blog |
3 comments
Denise has been helping me trying to get the clutter out of my house and I believe when (was going to say if) I can do this I will be able to get other “clutter” out also. She is awesome and I can never thank her enough (insert smiley face here).
We were talking about fears and why I can’t seem to find the time to de-clutter. I was standing outside waiting for my dog to do her business when I...
Posted by
Jane on Oct 11th, 2011 in
Jane's Blog |
2 comments
How much slack is too much slack? I had an incidence/conversation at rehab this morning that got me thinking about this. The morning didn’t start out well… I woke up an hour late so I didn’t get my wake up/quiet time. I am grateful that it was this morning instead of tomorrow morning when Nicole has to be up at 6:30 a.m. to take the PSAT at 8:00 a.m
I got Nicole up and she was almost in tears as...
On Friday, four caregiving experts joined me for a discussion on Your Caregiving Journey on preventing regrets. Our experts included Leann Reynolds, president of Homewatch CareGivers; Suzanne Mintz, CEO of National Family Caregivers Association; Jesse Slome, Director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance; and Bette, who blogs about caring for her mom and her children. You can listen to our show...
I was up late last night, trading emails with my sister-in-law, helping in the planning of my brother’s memorial. One of the things she asked me do to was edit a biography of him. I couldn’t help but reflect on the many things I had learned from my older brother. Arguably one of the most important lessons was the importance of those who serve you.
Every where my brother went, he made a point of making...
First, thank you for the many statements of condolences. They are appreciated and needed. One of the things I’m having to grapple with is that caregiving and parenting doesn’t stop, not even during a time such as this.
In that vein, I wanted to share a recent observation. My dad has been experiencing some fluid retention particularly in his legs. I’m taking him in for a medical checkup;...
Weekend before last, my husband and I went to the ocean, along with our grandson and my mother-in-law. It was a wonderful trip. We were there for just two nights. The first day, a major storm blew in and we were able to watch the huge waves crash on the shore. The second day, the sun was out and it was warm enough that we spent the day on the beach in short sleeves. It was a great trip, but I missed Mom so much....
Posted by
Jane on Oct 10th, 2011 in
Jane's Blog |
5 comments
I am a little freaked out and this is the only place I can write this without Nicole seeing it.
Yesterday she wasn’t feeling well at all. She hasn’t been the whole week but I think between rehab and all her doctor’s appointments it is exhausting for her. She was complaining all day of dizziness which is quite common but it seemed to be worse.
Now for starters she started her monthly cycle...
