|
Managing The Stress ~ Making The Decisions ~ Discovering The Meaning |
|
Caregiving |
Solutions To Your Caregiving Situations Throughout Your Caregiving Years |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Each month, we take a closer look at an aspect of your caregiving experience. In January, our focus is staying resilient in the face of so much difficulty.) Resilience: Hanging on to that secret weapon Sarah has had a rough day. Even rougher than yesterday--and she thought a day couldn't get worse than that one. Her father has been with her for three years. He's living on borrowed time, at 88-years-old he's suffered three strokes and was recently diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. She knows that he won't be with her for much longer and tries to draw strength from that. She can be with him now, she thinks, because this is the last time they will be together. If only her sister would help her more! Her sister seems to be someone new, someone she's never met before. Her sister used to be such a caring person, always available to lend a helping hand, to listen with an open heart. But, these last few weeks... Her sister can only be described as, well, awful. And, yesterday, her husband was rushed to the emergency room from work. A slight heart attack. Scared them both to death. He's home now and expected to recover, as long as he makes changes in his lifestyle. On Tuesday, he was a strong, virile man. Today, two days later, he's a baby who can't heat up his own soup. How in the world will Sarah make it through these next few weeks, with her husband home recovering from a heart attack and her father in the spare bedroom dying of cancer and her sister, well, angry at the world? Sarah stares at the television, at the Oprah show, which usually cheers her up. She's too spent to cry. How am I going to do this? How am I going to survive this? Ah! Resilience is a caregiver's secret weapon. It's what will get Sarah up the next day. It's what will keep her going. Every caregiver knows the feeling of those low points. And, we know we somehow wake up the next day, get out of bed, and face it again. We don't know any other way. This month, we talk about Resilience, a caregiver's best friend. We encourage you to nurture your resilience, to build its muscle so it becomes stronger, so you can flex it on demand. We offer you the suggestions of other caregivers, we you offer some ideas on how to feed your resilience and we celebrate your resilience. We hope you will too!
There will be a time when people will come again to your well, and the water you will have for them will be clear and sweet. --The Art of Resilience, 100 Paths to Wisdom and Strength in an Uncertain World By Carol Orsborn (A recommended book!) Index of Articles --Rejuvenate to keep resilience --Six steps to staying refreshed --Test your ability to bounce back --We asked family caregivers: How do you stay resilient?
|
Read Another Caregiving Special Focus
Ask
An Expert Three Issues of Caregiving: Free! our free electronic newsletter, Spotlight on Caregiving. You'll receive Spotlight in your Inbox on the 15th of every month.
Weekly Comforts for Caregivers, delivered to you via e-mail every Monday morning: Order Now!
Let's Get Coaching! For Family Caregivers: The Caregiving Journey is fraught with twists, turns and tumbles. Map Your Journey: Learn More... For Older Adults: Your life experiences are the greatest gifts you give future generations. Wrap Your Gifts: Learn More... Caregiving make you feel lonely and hopeless. Our products and services, for family caregivers and professionals, speak to your heart--because caregiving is about your heart. Shop now... |
|
© Tad Publishing Co.
1996-2004 |
