Is a care partner different from a caregiver? I think they can be. Recently, I was chatting with a friend about caregiving. She is in remission from cancer and I wanted to understand more about what she experienced as a person receiving the care. When she used the term ‘care partner’, I asked her what that meant to her. “Care partner is the term my medical team used to describe … [Read more...]
When caregiving worlds collide.
How many generations do you care for? I have talked to many caregivers whose back seat holds their mother’s walker and grandchild’s car seat. In my caregiving world, it is my mother’s wheelchair and steps that my 13-year-old dog Josh uses to get into the car. I’m not a traditional “sandwich” generation example. I don’t care for an aging parent while supporting children and … [Read more...]
Are you struggling right now? I am.
Which is why I talked to my doctor about an antidepressant. Normally, I’m a person who looks at life from a glass half full perspective. I look for and find the bright side of situations because I believe we can choose happiness. But choosing happiness takes energy, energy which I don’t have at the moment. I know I’m not the only one struggling. The social isolation brought on … [Read more...]
Shared Laughter Connects Us (not to mention the proven health benefits.)
Right about now laughter and connection are at the top of my daily self-care list. Is there anything better than sharing a belly laugh with someone? Not much in my opinion. I recently had the chance to visit with friends. We were outside, appropriately social distanced and started reminiscing about a shared vacation to Montana. In the retelling of those stories, we could hardly … [Read more...]
Being a Caregiver During COVID-19 Feels Like One Big Calculated Risk.
It is not a comfortable feeling. From the very beginning of the pandemic, family caregivers were forced to make decisions with little information based on fact. Should we keep mom in assisted living or bring her home? Should we keep the home health aide or let them go while we are working from home? Should we postpone the trip to the doctor, the chemo treatment or the visit … [Read more...]