“At its core, grief is a reaction to a change that you didn’t want or ask for” David Kessler, grief expert and author. Prolonged grief is a recognized diagnosis that occurs when an individual continues to have an intense longing or preoccupation with someone who has died. A person with prolonged grief has difficulty accepting the death. They can feel as if they have lost a … [Read more...]
Why Is ‘NO’ So Often The Answer Our Aging Parent Give Us?
Even more frustrating, is when a yes changes to no. Mom’s recent hospital visit was hard on both of us but it was an opportunity to reset her health and how she moves around in her home. Because she was admitted and stayed three nights, Medicare pays for Home Health visits which includes Physical and Occupational therapy in addition to nursing.. I can see a difference in her … [Read more...]
Suddenly A Fire Alarm Goes Off. My Worst Nightmare As A Caregiver.
On a Sunday afternoon not long ago, mom and I had almost completed a long list of things we needed to accomplish to get her ready for the day. Suddenly, an alarm went off in the basement. I ran out as mom was putting on her sweatshirt, grabbed my phone and started dialing 911 as I ran down the basement steps. I expected to find smoke and flames coming out of the dryer since … [Read more...]
Do you feel psychologically safe when talking to healthcare providers or family members?
What does “psychologically safe” mean? Psychological safety is a term first defined by Amy Edmondson as “a shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking.” The concept comes from the business world but has been applied to schools as well where it is more commonly called “emotional safety.” What intrigues me about the idea … [Read more...]
I Feel So Isolated
I created this video two and a half years ago. No one could have predicted that a world wide pandemic would isolate our loved ones to a degree where there is a visible decline in many of them. We are not out of the woods yet and I have a challenge for you. How will you continue to reach out or reach out in new ways, to help an elder feel loved and heard? After a year it is … [Read more...]