How can one word change your world? Last year I did not set any New Year’s resolutions. Instead, I chose one word, impact, to use as a touchstone for the year. With intention, I measured the positive impact activities, people and commitments had on my life and, based on that, came to some decisions. I’d be lying if I said these decisions were easy, but I acted. I resigned … [Read more...]
Our Caregiving Youth: A Hidden Epidemic
Do you know a young caregiver? The only national survey of young caregivers conducted in the United States was completed in 2004. Conducted by the National Alliance for Caregiving and the United Hospital Fund, they found there were about 1.3 – 1.4 million young caregivers. Divided into age groups of 8-11, 12-15 and 16-18, we are talking about children in elementary school, … [Read more...]
“Mom is Living With Dementia, Not Suffering From It.”
Words Matter. One of the biggest and best caregiving lessons I’ve learned over the last five years is words matter. Starting a discussion with “You must”, “You should” get’s me nowhere with my mother. The concept is so central to how mom and I interact, that I devote an entire chapter on having hard conversations in my book "Your Caregiver Relationship Contract.” But the … [Read more...]
So Much of Caregiving Has Great Joy and Sorrow. How Do We Live In the Dissonance?
I am struggling right now to reconcile deep grief with great joy. In this struggle, I don’t know how to feel. Often, I just feel numb. In the last six weeks, I’ve been to four wakes and two funerals. It started with the death of my uncle, Dad’s brother, who lived in Florida. He was ill so it wasn’t a complete surprise. Nevertheless, no one in the family was able to make it … [Read more...]
Pre-Planning is the Key to Family Vacations With Your Senior.
How one family made it happen successfully. Elizabeth Miller of the Happy Healthy Caregiver is a colleague. On her website, you will find her podcasts and blog. Her work like mine, came about because we are caregivers. Elizabeth is part of her mother’s caregiving team. Growing up, Elizabeth and her family vacationed at Hubbard Lake in Michigan. The tradition has continued … [Read more...]