by Denise
May 15 2013 in Denise's Blog, Your Tips by Denise
You live in New York City; your mom lives in Florida. You talk regularly. But, after each phone conversation, you wonder: How do I really know that all is okay? Sometimes, caring conversations can be about the big issues (money, moving, a change in care needs) and sometimes it’s about the little things, like how [...]
by Denise
May 13 2013 in Denise's Blog, Six Stages by Denise
Last week, I began a six-part video series that walks you through The Caregiving Years, Six Stages to a Meaningful Journey. In each video, I’m describing the keyword (your coping strategy) of each stage of the caregiving experience. In this video, I describe the keyword–find–for the second stage of the The Caregiving Years. In the [...]
by Denise
May 12 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
Happy Mother’s Day! In celebration of Mother’s Day, let’s share what we learned from our mom. My mom helped me in the early years of my business. When I published a monthly print newsletter (Caregiving! newsletter, my first product for family caregivers), she proofread every issue, she sat with me as we stamped each subscriber’s [...]
by Denise
May 7 2013 in Denise's Blog, Six Stages by Denise
Today, I begin a quick six-part video series that walks you through The Caregiving Years, Six Stages to a Meaningful Journey. In each video, I’m describing the keyword of each stage of the caregiving experience. In this quick video, I talk about the keyword–ask–for the Expectant Caregiver, the first of the six stages. In this [...]
by Denise
May 2 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
I remember the day I first began to work on The Caregiving Years, Six Stages to a Meaningful Journey. It was 1997 and I was working a full-time job as a data entry operator to keep my small business afloat. As I sat in my cube, I thought: What if we could stage the experience [...]
by Denise
May 1 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
Last night during our chat for new members, @ejourneys, @tiredamy2007 and @micknew shared their creative outlets. And, that inspired EJ to start our latest group, Caregivers Create. She describes the purpose of the group: “This is a place for us to share and encourage each other in our creative output — includes but is not [...]
by Denise
Apr 30 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
Last week, I led a video chat to discuss solutions for our caregiving crisis. Consider: –According to The National Alliance for Caregiving, in the U.S., 65.7 million caregivers–29% of the U.S. adult population–provide care to someone who is ill, disabled or aged. We’re also a population living with chronic illnesses; according to the Centers for [...]
by Denise
Apr 12 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
ARCH National Respite Coalition created a petition last night asking Congress to make respite for family caregivers a national priority. The petition reads: To: Congress The 65 million family caregivers in the US need respite. It is among the most frequently requested support services, yet 90% of family caregivers are not receiving respite of any [...]
by Denise
Apr 9 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
Today, Genworth Financial, Inc. released its 2013 Cost of Care Survey, which details the costs of home care services and long-term care facilities. Nationally, the 2013 median hourly cost of homemaker services and home health aide services is $18 and $19 respectively, the company said. Homemaker costs have risen just 1.4 percent since 2012 and [...]
by Denise
Apr 5 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
A caregiving house contains supplies, equipment and medications. Medications can be life-savers for your caree but can hold potential danger in the wrong hands–prescription drugs are the most commonly abused drugs among 12- to 13-year olds. To reduce the risk of prescription drug abuse, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will sponsor its sixth National Prescription [...]
by Denise
Apr 3 2013 in Denise's Blog, WAIT Buddy by Denise
About a year ago, I started thinking about the problem of waiting during a caregiving experience. You wait during horribly stressful circumstances–a caree’s surgery or procedure or treatment. And, often, you wait alone. The more I thought about this, the more I wondered how I could create an app to connect you with other family [...]
by Denise
Mar 29 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
I received a phone call this morning from a producer looking to cast family caregivers and their aging parents in an upcoming ad campaign. The producer sent a follow-up email detailing what she needs; here’s what she’s looking for: “My client wants to document the relationship between seniors and an adult child caregiver. To that [...]
by Denise
Mar 26 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
So much goes wrong in a caregiving day that you feel all is wrong. To help you see that your day also includes a few positives, we’ve created a group called Three Positives. Each day, visit the group to list your three positives that happened. It’s easy to join our group; just go here. After [...]
by Denise
Mar 15 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
This weekend’s edition of USA Today will include an 18-page supplement on Family Caregiving called “Supporting Our Caregivers.” I received an advance copy of the supplement this afternoon; you can view here: USA Today Supplement. After you’ve had a chance to review, I’d love to know what you think. Please share your thoughts in our comments section, [...]
by Denise
Mar 13 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
Last night, during our new member chat, @the-unit-known-as-shandi instigated a rule about caregiving: Only one family member at a time can need care. Which led to other members adding their rules: – @ejourneys: “That family dynamics allow for family involvement.” – @peggikaye: “That if I say I’m okay, then I’m to be believed (emotionally) and if [...]
by Denise
Mar 10 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
Before our live visit to see @Kathy this afternoon, I enjoyed a lunch with Teresa (@tstallone), who lives about 20 minutes from me. We needed the Internet, though, to introduce us. I picked Teresa up at 11:30 this morning and we headed to a local spot for sandwiches. Teresa shared her stories of caring for [...]
by Denise
Mar 8 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
The New York Times continues to tell the story of life after caregiving. Yesterday, the New Old Age blog told the story of @Sharon and Darren (@gcdsw2020). Today, the website tells Karen’s story of caring for her mom and her brother. @Karen continues to help as a volunteer on Caregiving.com. She’s a community manager for [...]
by Denise
Mar 7 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
In January, Judith Graham, a reporter for The New York Times, contacted me for an article she was writing about life after caregiving ends. I connected her with two members of Caregiving.com: Sharon (@sharon) and Darren (@gcdsw2020). Judith features their stories in today’s article. Sharon joined Caregiving.com in 2008 and become one of the site’s [...]
by Denise
Mar 5 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
Several years ago, I visited Mirca Liberti, my mentor who co-founded Children of Aging Parents, at her retirement home she shared with her husband in Florida. It seemed like the life! Beautiful swimming pool, lots of activities, a leisurely pace. I envisioned my sister (and her husband) and I living in a similar community. Our [...]
by Denise
Mar 5 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
By now you’re probably heard the tape of the 911 call from Glenwood Gardens, an independent living facility in Bakersfield, Calif., for help after an 87-year-old resident collapses in a dining room. During the call, the 911 dispatcher directs the caller, a registered nurse, to begin CPR on the resident. The nurse refuses. The ambulance [...]
by Denise
Mar 4 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
During our fund drive, I ask for your support to keep Caregiving.com going. You can support with a monetary gift. You can support by purchasing our books, eBooks, MP3s and membership programs, like CarePASS and FitPASS. With your support, Caregiving.com continues. When you give to Caregiving.com, you continue to receive: support from the site’s blogs, [...]
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by Denise
ARGH: It’s Not About Putting Your Life on Hold
Apr 30 2013 in Denise's Blog by Denise
As I write this, I’m listening to the Quarterly Family Caregiver Coalition webinar, hosted by National Alliance for Caregiving. A presentation given about the Shire BRAVE Awards just ended. The award honors “ordinary people who give of themselves by caring for others in a meaningful, dedicated and selfless manner.” Each recipient of a BRAVE Award [...]
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