“A person’s success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.” Timothy Ferriss National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) is April 16! NHDD focuses on vital end-of-life decisions. It is critical to have these discussions before an illness or accident because a plan to wait […]
Sustainable Aging and End-of-Life Conversations Read More »
My journey on the Caregiver River started in rough water and became increasingly more challenging until I was out of the raft altogether and almost completely submerged. As I reflect on the last seven years, I see the experience as a crystal clear rite of passage. I was wholly unprepared when I started this adventure.
Lessons Learned on the Caregiver River Read More »
I noticed my anxiety starting to peek over the rim of my teacup during my self-care breaks, like a reticent critter checking to see my reaction. Then, I felt myself become tense when I sat down for the afternoon chat with Dad. Our chats had turned into a re-hash of what his disease was called,
A Holiday Gift of Wisdom Read More »
Holidays and caregiving evoke an uneasiness that comes when we anticipate turbulence and uncertainty. The stormy holiday season is upon us and navigating caregiving during the holiday season to create something special, minus the stressful, is the goal, and that requires strategy! We can continue to prioritize our well-being during the busy season. In fact,
7 Holiday Sustainable Caregiving Strategies Read More »
More than 1 in 5 Americans are providing care for a family member. You likely interact with many family caregivers in your close circles, including friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors. When someone in your realm is involved with care for a family member, you have a unique opportunity to provide support and encouragement. Caring for
7 Ways to Thank a Family Caregiver Read More »
Changing roles and responsibilities Caregiving changes our relationships. If our care recipient is our parent, our relationship shifts from parent / adult child to caree / caregiver. It may be a gradual shift over several years or a sudden shift in the case of a hospitalization or a disease diagnosis. Regardless of the pace of
Sustainable Caregiving: Boundaries Read More »
You may be trying to decide if you should bring your family member from a care facility into your home or you may have come to the realization that it is time to get help taking care of a family member. This is the perfect time to start doing the research on home-based care and
Care at Home: What to Consider Read More »
Hurricane Season: May 15 – November 30 Having a plan for hurricane season becomes next level critical when you are caring for a family member. Dad is 98 and we have a plan A, B, C and D, to cover a host of possible scenarios. We have learned a few lessons from the best teachers.
Hurricane Plan for the Caregiver Read More »
Medication was a serious subject I found no humor in caregiving until I pulled back the curtain and saw it for what it was. It was seriously hard and at times seriously funny. Language is also a funny thing. How did the word “seriously” come to mean “very”? This language confused my French students who
Laughter is the Best Medicine Read More »
In sickness and in health Wedding vows don’t include the sickness and health of a spouse’s parents. I suppose it’s implied, but it wasn’t something that we considered or discussed until we were confronted with choices. Joe and I were like a small business partnership. We had been collaborating on life’s twists and turns and
Caregiving as a Couple: Our Keys to Collaboration Read More »
