How Do You Manage Caregiving and Your Career?

The New York Times published an article this afternoon with tips on how to manage work while you’re caregiving. (You can read the article here.) The tips mentioned in the article include: using the Family and Medical Leave Act in order to create plans, manage emergencies, transition your caree into another care setting; checking with your HR Department to learn about resources available to you which can...

Poll: Do You Have a Caregiving Back-Up Plan?

“Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.” ~ Allen Saunders Certainly, caregiving changed your life plans. It also demands planning and scheduling. And, then, when bad weather or flu or another emergency gets in the way, it demands a Plan B (and sometimes a Plan C and D). In this week’s poll, sponsored by Caregiving.com and eCareDiary.com, we ask: Do you have a caregiving...

How Do You Manage Bad Weather?

I’m in Chicago, which today is in the path of a bad weather system covering 2,100 miles. Our blizzard warning goes into effect today at 3 p.m. and will last 24 hours. In normal situations, bad weather becomes an inconvenience. Add in the life storm of caregiving and bad weather can be an incredible challenge. Perhaps you care for your spouse and your aging parent, who lives alone; how do you ensure both have...

Never Thought of This One

(Editor’s Note: Today, we welcome Jo to our blogging family. Jo is a widower, single parent to two teenagers and caregiver for both his mother and father both of whom are in their 80’s and have dementia. You can read more about Jo, as well as all the bloggers, here.) When assessing a facility for my parents I reviewed many things. Among them: quality, training and quantity of staff; state inspections;...

Let It Snow…

Image by Oregon State University Archives via Flickr I think we’re in for it this weekend. When you’re not out shoveling, you find yourself inside staring at your four walls and your care recipient. Or, you may be staring at your phone, hoping your care recipient will be okay. We’ve got some articles to help you weather the storm: Getting Help to Your Care Recipient When Bad Weather Gets...

Ask Denise: Can We Convert the Garage for Him?

Dear Denise, My brother-in-law suffered a stroke. The doctor said he was bleeding into the brain. After extensive Intensive Care at a Stroke Center, he is now in Rehab. We have been told that he will be there for about 6 weeks…..he seems to be showing improvement already, but the doctor indicates he will need “Assisted Living” for the rest of his life. He is presently 77 years young. He is my...

Seven Lifesavers for Long-Distance Caregivers

Image via Wikipedia By Sheri Samotin (Editor’s Note: On a regular basis, we invite health care professionals and family caregivers to share insights as a guest blogger on Caregiving.com. As we launch our online support group for long-distance family caregivers, we asked Sheri Samotin, a family transition coach, to share her top tips to help long-distance family caregivers. You can listen to Shari and...

Tax Time Great Time To Update/Review Paperwork

It’s the time of year to be surrounded by paperwork. Since the pile of pile already takes up a chunk of your dining room table, why not review legal documents for you and your care recipient to ensure they are up-to-date. –Will: Experts recommend updating your will every three years. Consider: Are beneficiaries still living? Does the will reflect the correct distribution of all assets? –Durable powers...

Be Prepared: Create Your Contingency Plan Before You Need It

Keeping Caregiving Safe What if I’m sick? Who will take care of my care recipient? What if I need to help my daughter and her new baby? Who will take care of my care recipient? What if I need to go back to work? Who will take care of my care recipient? The start of a New Year is a great time to create your contingency plan, which has the answers to “What if?” questions. (For more help in creating...

How Do I Train My Sister?

Dear Denise, Finally, I’m going on vacation! I’ll be gone for two weeks in September. My sister will stay at the house and take care of my mom. Here’s my problem: How in the world do I tell my sister what I do every day to take care of my mom? Hello, Good for you! It’s wonderful you’ll be able to take a well-deserved vacation. Because you do so much, it can seem daunting to communicate...

Contingency Plans: Who Will Step In If You Fall Out Of Step?

You become so used to handling it all, so much so that you can’t imagine not being there for your care recipient. But, there will be times when you can’t. You may have the flu, or be called out-of-town unexpectedly, or need to devote your time to another family crisis. Or, your home health aide, who you employ, is sick, but you need to be at work for an important meeting. Who will step in on your...