Lately, I’ve noticed mom just sitting for long periods of time. I may have to call her more than once to get her attention and it scares me. This learned behavior comes from the couple of times when her blood sugar had dropped dangerously low. When I do get her attention, she seems confused and my mind immediately goes to, “Is this the start of dementia?” Jumping to … [Read more...]
How Can Caregivers Let Go of Feeling Judged? Another lesson learned from my dog.
We may feel judged by others, but we judge ourselves the most. Bear with me as I tell you the story of Tucker and his shin fracture. I was away for a weekend, meeting up with college friends that I had not seen in two years. We were able to plan for a weekend when I was not caring for mom. My neighbor, who is a dog sitter, was available to come stay with Tucker. In the past, … [Read more...]
Pandemic Tipping Point: “In less than a year, the U.S. erased more than 30 years of women’s employment gains.”
That startling statistic comes from the report by the TIME’S UP Foundation: Women’s Work: Key Policies and Paradigms for An Inclusive Post-Pandemic Economy. The drain on businesses from employees with caregiving responsibilities became clear through the pandemic. One of the driving forces behind why women left the work force is lack of caregiving policies. It continues to be … [Read more...]
Letters To Our Daughter – More About Life With Mom
A couple of weeks ago, I shared parts of a letter my dad wrote to me when I was in college. In it, he told the story of mom breaking a jar of spaghetti sauce while in the grocery store. At first she walked away from it, but then she went back to pull the coupon off the jar. Why she did that will make sense when dad tells the story about "The Coupon Volley." Enjoy! … [Read more...]
Caregivers Are Advocates, Champions And Activists For Our Caree. We must do the same for ourselves.
It is our time now. I don’t know about you, but I did not spend my time at home during the pandemic learning a new language, craft or getting fit. I’m a caregiver. I was just trying to keep my head above water. On top of the isolation and loneliness, mom had two wounds that needed to be cleared up, a severe eye infection and the pièce de resistance, a five-day hospital … [Read more...]