The Impact Caregiving Had on Me

(Editor’s Note: This is the second of a three-part series written by John Mills, who we call a Godspeed Caregiver. In this series, John Mills discusses caring for his father and his decision after his role ended to launch a business, eCare Diary, to help family caregivers.) Being a caregiver has been a life changing experience and a fulfilling one in so many ways. It strengthened the bond between my father and...

Three Toughest Challenges I Faced as a Caregiver

(Editor’s Note: This is the second of a three-part series written by John Mills, who we call a Godspeed Caregiver. In this series, John Mills discusses caring for his father and his decision after his role ended to launch a business, eCare Diary, to help family caregivers.) Becoming a caregiver is an unplanned experience since we never know when or where it will occur.  It creates many challenges in terms of...

How I Felt When I Heard My Father’s Diagnosis with Parkinson’s

By John Mills (Editor’s Note: This is the first of a three-part series written by John Mills, who we call a Godspeed Caregiver. In this series, John Mills discusses caring for his father and his decision after his role ended to launch a business, eCare Diary, to help family caregivers.) My father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in early 2001 and passed away from it two years ago at age 83.  His...

My Story: Looking Inside Depression

Last week, PsychCentral.com posted a helpful article on depression (7 Myths of Depression). I shared the link to the article on Twitter and immediately received responses. No surprise—depression and caregiving can go hand-in-hand. I asked one of the family caregivers who responded, Heather Short, to write about her experiences with depression. What follows are my questions and her answers. Heather is...

The Caregiver Compassion Quotient–What’s Your CQ?

By Patty Kearns (Editor’s Note: On a regular basis, we invite healthcare professionals and family caregivers to write a guest blog. We asked Patty Kearns, who cared for her mom until her mom’s death last year, to share her thoughts about a concept to share her thoughts about a concept she’s been thinking about lately–the Caregiver Compassion Quotient (CQ) and how it can help us reduce our...

Advocating So You Can Avoid Regrets

Image via Wikipedia By Lori Palermo (Editor’s Note: On a regular basis, we invite healthcare professionals and family caregivers to write a guest blog. We asked Lori to share how her dad’s death led her to a life of advocacy. Lori’s website is www.loveyourlungsbreatheforlife.com. You also can listen to Lori discuss her experiences on Your Caregiving Journey.) On December 26, 2003, my dad...