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...]
2021 Is Going To Need More Than “One Little Word.” Resilience, thrive and grace are my touchstones for the coming year.
How can these words influence the coming year? The One Little Word® project is an outgrowth of Ali Edwards’ work. In 2006, she began the tradition of choosing one word for herself in January and focusing on that word throughout the year. I have done the same for the past two years. In 2019, I chose the word Impact. It was a reminder to look at all aspects of my life: … [Read more...]
I Can’t Make One More Decision! Is It Decision Fatigue?
Technically No, But... Mom and I spent the week of Christmas together. I had forgotten how much she likes to make decisions by consensus. We were preparing for our single guest, a family friend who is part of our bubble. Mom was in charge of getting appetizers ready to put out. When she asked me if I thought we should put the cheese spread and crackers out separately or … [Read more...]