Hurricane Season: May 15 – November 30 Having a plan for hurricane season becomes next level critical when you are caring for a family member. Dad is 98 and we have a plan A, B, C and D, to cover a host of possible scenarios. We have learned a few lessons from the best teachers. […]
Hurricane Plan for the Caregiver Read More »
Medication was a serious subject I found no humor in caregiving until I pulled back the curtain and saw it for what it was. It was seriously hard and at times seriously funny. Language is also a funny thing. How did the word “seriously” come to mean “very”? This language confused my French students who
Laughter is the Best Medicine Read More »
Memory lane As I tripped down Dad’s memory lane, I found he and I, arm in arm, skipping to the beat of a familiar tune. As I read more of Dad’s journal entries, I was astonished and saddened at how unhappy he seemed. Caregiving has received due attention recently. It is not an easy path
Sustainable Families: Have the Talk Now Read More »
Mistakes are going to happen during a hospitalization. Misunderstandings are inevitable. Mishaps are sure to occur at home following a hospitalization. “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” – Eleanor Roosevelt. It would be wonderful if we could learn everything we needed to know from the
Hospital Stays: Mistakes, Mishaps and Misunderstandings Read More »
Discussing end-of-life is not comfortable, and our society does not prepare us well for conversations about death. It is a part of life, but like aging is often not faced until it is a forced confrontation. It is never too early to have a heart-to-heart conversation with your parents about their end-of-life wishes. In fact,
Heart to Heart Conversation: End-of-Life Wishes Read More »
Why is this so hard? Many adult children encountered resistance to their requests for the first time when they learned that parents were not heeding the advice to practice physical distancing. It offered a glimpse into the future and an opportunity to better understand the relationship dynamic, the competing motivations and develop skills to manage
Reduce Conflict with Aging Parents Read More »
Many are now living life similar in many ways to that of the isolated family caregiver. One challenge is to modify self-care to be isolation friendly. When we accept rather than resist our new “Stay at Home” reality, we will be able to identify the positive self-care activities that will reduce stress. We will be
Self-Care During COVID-19: Lessons from Family Caregivers Read More »
From experience, I knew that the palliative care provided by a hospice agency could be an empowering resource to maintain quality of life at home for what could extend to years. I was aware that while some families involved hospice care at end of a family member’s life, their services extended far beyond, actually prior
Hospice: The decision Read More »
Coming to terms with the fact that my travel opportunities were going to be curtailed for an unknown amount of time was one of the most challenging parts of accepting the assignment as Dad’s caregiver. When I realized that adventures in life take many forms, I was able to embrace my role without resentment. The
The Caregiving Journey: How to Prepare and Make the Most of Your Adventure Read More »
I care for my 98-year-old father. I’ve created a plan for us and other family members. I thought it might be helpful to share how we’re managing our situation. This is for general information only; please contact your health care team for guidance on your particular situation. Minimize Exposure Minimize visitors to your caree’s home
Coronavirus Preparation & Prevention Plan Read More »
