You can. And, we’ll help.

We’ve created a program to help you know you can feel better.

CarePASS, a membership program, helps you create a care plan just for you. You decide what you want to achieve to feel better. Maybe you’d like to find more help, or find more quiet time, or find your voice with your family members. Once you decide, we support you with monthly teleclasses (including the fan favorite, Three-Word Journaling), meditations, one-on-one coaching and a members-only community moderated by me.

We believe a combination of our classes, coaching and community can really make a difference in your life, which is why we’ve priced CarePASS as affordable as we can. You can choose from three levels of membership in either our Basic or Premium plans. It all starts at $10 per month.

To join CarePASS, just go here.

Thanks to all who donated to help Amy, our fourth CareGifters recipient. We sent $500 to her today.

And, if you are a family caregiver in need (or know one) and would like to be considered in the future to receive CareGifters funds, fill out the application here.

Related Articles

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• To Kristin’s We Went (caregiving.com)
• Go (caregiving.com)
• Who Can Help the Family Caregiver? The Former Family Caregiver (caregiving.com)

Today, we’re raising money to help Amy, who will be our fourth family caregiver we’ve helped. She’s been caring for her parents since 2002. Prior to caring for her parents, she lived with and cared for her grandmother. Amy is 31-years-old. You can read her blog here.

Our goal is to raise $500 to help Amy, who writes, “I would love to be able to pay off most of the small medical bills that my parents have and also be able to get a check-up for myself so that I can be my best to care for them. I am doing all I can but it seems to keep getting harder to do. So any help would help. Thank you for this opportunity to get my story out there.” You can help with your donation of $5. (If you want to give more, we’ll take more.)

I’ve asked Amy to share her three top challenges; they are (in her words):

1. Money for medical bills.
2. Money for my health care becasue my parents need 24-hour care. I am unable to work.
3. Facing eviction.

After Amy receives her $500, she’ll share how she used it and its impact on CareGifters.org and Your Caregiving Journey talk show.

You can donate below. CareGifters is operated through The Center for Family Caregivers, a charitable organization. We use PayPal to process your donation. (Please note: The Center for Family Caregivers does not currently have tax exempt status with the IRS so donations are not tax deductible.)

Thanks so much to all who help!!!

And, if you are a family caregiver in need and would like to be considered in the future to receive CareGifters funds, fill out the application here.

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• The Working Family Caregiver, a Free E-Book (caregiving.com)
• Who Can Help the Family Caregiver? The Former Family Caregiver (caregiving.com)

Thanks so much to Bette for doing a wonderful job hosting the show. I hope you enjoy!

Note: Stock up on stocking stuffers: We’ve got a great deal on my caregiving books, including Take Comfort. Buy here and use coupon code BUYMYBOOK305 to save 25%.

Related Articles

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Trish’s book details her childhood with a mom who suffered from severe depression and a father who lived the highs and lows of bipolar disease. It’s a story of cigarette smoke, suicide attempts and broken hearts.

It’s also a story of accepting the messiness, as Trish calls it, of family in order to enjoy its blessings. As an adult, Trish and her mom become best friends. It’s a relationship that cancer ends much too soon.

And yet it’s not a book about self-pity or blame. Her book looks back at her family’s struggles with honesty and humor. It’s really a story of how we take the good with the bad and learn somehow to see that it all can be just right.

You’ll enjoy listening to Trish talk about her book, which took 10 years to complete. And, you’ll love her book, which you can buy here. Use coupon code BURIED to save 20%.

Related Articles

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In caregiving, you may feel like you spend too much—time, energy, money.

US Medical Supplies can help you save. In particular, the company can help you save your back with a variety of lift chairs that meet your needs, your caree’s needs and your budget. US Medical Supplies is one of the world’s largest suppliers of medical and mobility products with over 12,000 products offered at discount prices.

In a recent national survey of Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), 54% of respondents reported injuries from assisting their patients in rising from or sitting down into a chair. Lifting a person from a sitting, or even a lying position, is not an easy matter — for the semi-mobile person or for the family caregiver. A fall to the floor or even a partial fall can result in fractures for the person and severe musculoskeletal conditions for the family caregiver.

Lift chairs, with their specially designed structure, can help you and your caree avoid injuries, including back strain. Electric lift chairs, especially with their handy remote control feature, go a long way in avoiding a chance of injury to either one or both of you.

When selecting a life chair for your caree, consider:

• Positioning. Lift chairs vary in versatility, and some recline more than others.
• Body size fit. The lift chair should not be too large or small.
• Type of material and intended use. Is incontinence an issue? If so, easily-cleaned fabrics are available.
• Chair features. Heat and massage units can alleviate muscle and joint pain, and built-in storage keep your caree’s essential items nearby and within easy reach.

U.S. Medical Supplies offers a variety of lift chairs, including:

• Two Position: Recline from the upright position to a 45 degree “TV watching” position, or anywhere in between.
• Three Position: Recline from the upright position to a nearly flat “napping” position, or anywhere in between.
• Infinite Position: Recline from the upright position to any angle, even completely flat. Also, the footrest can be used without reclining.
• Zero Gravity: “Zero Gravity” chairs allow for positions which promote good spinal alignment, better lung capacity and improved circulation.

Not sure which lift chair is right? Use the company’s Lift Chair Wizard, which leads you through a serious of questions about your caree to help you find the right chair. You also can get helpful, real-life feedback by reading customer reviews of the chairs.

US Medical Supplies offers chairs for every budget, beginning at $449, as well as free shipping. The company’s product experts are factory-trained and have all the knowledge necessary to help you make the right choice. And, if you find a better-priced lift chair than the one you buy, US Medical Supplies will refund you 150% of your purchase price.

You can reach the company’s by calling 1 (800) 790-5104.

To view lift chairs available through US Medical Supplies, visit www.usmedicalsupplies.com/Lift-Chairs.htm. And, for more information about which lift chair is best for you and your caree, check out the buyer’s guide: www.usmedicalsupplies.com/lift-chair-buyers-guide.htm.

In this Life Line, I offer a perspective on “too old.”

Updates

• Our Caregiving Summer School, Session II, starts next week! Our classes will help you understand where you’ve been so you can plan for where you’re going on your caregiving journey. Our classes also help you start your journal; set boundaries; accept help; and start Mondays on the right foot. Each class costs $27 and takes place conveniently over the phone. You’ll love them! Register today here.
• Do you know a family caregiver in need? Nominate him or her to receive $500 through our CareGifters program. Details are here.
• We’re taking submissions for our Caregiving Art Show and our Help book! Be sure to share your art and your story with the world.
• Table Talk airs tomorrow at 9 a.m. CT (10 a.m. ET, 7 a.m. PT). Trish joins me to talk about caring for her brother, Robert. Listen here.

Related Articles

• A Life Line: Three Wishes (caregiving.com)
• A Life Line: The Worst (caregiving.com)

I’ve been thinking, What’s the worst thing that can happen? In this Life Line, I offer my perspective on what really is the worst thing that can happen to us. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section, below.

Here’s the first, called Three Wishes:

Resources

• Schedule a coaching call with Denise–your first coaching call is free. With Denise as your coach, you tackle a tough situation, press through a problem, or make a decision about a dilemma. Or, you just learn coping skills to help on those difficult days. With a coach, you get an objective listener, a committed partner in your success, and a vision for all you can be. Schedule your session.
• Take a class in our summer school. Our classes help you start your week inspired, find the meaning in your journey, and start a journal to document your journey. Register here.
• What’s caregiving like for you? Our 2011 Family Caregiver Survey asks you about your experiences: What’s hard, what help you wish you had, what changes you’ve made because of your role. “This survey is great,” a survey respondent said. Once you complete our survey, you’ll receive a free, 30-minute phone coaching call with Denise AND have a chance to win a $100 Amazon.com Gift Card. Take the survey here.

The photo shows the presentation of checks, from me to Liliana.

Thanks again to all for your generosity!

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• Call for Submissions: Your Story About Help (caregiving.com)
• CareGifters: Giving to Jane (caregiving.com)