The intimacy of touch. One of my earliest childhood memories is lying on the couch with my head in my mother’s lap while a violent thunderstorm rolled through. I was scared. Mom began stroking my hair and her gentle touch calmed me. It made me feel safe and loved. This weekend, cutting my mother’s hair, I remembered that time. We caregivers often perform intimate tasks. … [Read more...]
Hospice Care and Palliative Care: What’s the Difference?
You may have heard these terms before, but never fully understood: Hospice Care and Palliative Care, and what is the difference between the two? Palliative Care is appropriate for anyone seeking pain and symptom management. You can receive palliative care at any age and at any stage of illness; you can also have it along with curative treatment and it is not dependent on … [Read more...]
Three Things I’ve Learned as My Parents’ Caregiver.
None of them have anything to do with medicine. When I tell my caregiver story, I always start when dad was first hospitalized. That was when I was hit with being fully responsible for mom. I would lie in bed at night thinking, “Where do I start?” “What do I do next?”. What I’ve realized: 1. My caregiver role started way before I recognized it. It started when I made the … [Read more...]
A Different Type Of Grief – Why Do I Feel Like I’m losing Dad All Over Again?
It is five years since dad died and I'm finding it hard to remember our life together. I wrote this article two years ago when grief took an unexpected twist. On the 5th anniversary of dad's passing, grief has changed again. I can't believe he is gone five years already. It seems longer and at the same time it seems like yesterday. In the busyness of everyday I'm having a hard … [Read more...]
11 Great Safety Tips for Seniors That Will Completely Change Their Lives
The New Year is upon us and while many people are focusing on resolutions that have to do with losing weight and breaking bad habits—there is one resolution that all seniors need to be making: to be safer in the new year. Over a quarter of senior Americans are currently living alone which is why elderly safety is so important. Falls and accidents are most likely to happen right … [Read more...]