Paying Attention Too Late May Be Costly.
Have you heard the saying “Hindsight is 20/20? The use of the term is associated with decisions and choices (or the lack of) that seemed obvious after looking back and revisiting an unsettling outcome. It is the voice in our head that shares how we could have predetermined a situation or consequence. The more you pay […]
Caregivers: Son, Brothers, Uncles, and Husbands
I watched television and was so impressed seeing how a family of men came together to care for their loved one. In a so-called female-dominated role, men are left out of the caregiver equation. We hear about the role they play from time to time. The word on the street is… because they work outside […]
Caregivers: How Do You Decide to Bring in Help?
The question is…Who will love my loved one like I do? As caregivers, sometimes taking a long walk off a short pier feels like a good idea. It’s the reality of living day in and day out in the caregiving space. It’s the reality of fatigue, sleep deprivation, exhaustion, and loss of personal independence. Based on […]
When the Caregiver, Caregiving Develops Health Challenges
When is the best time for the family to jump in and come together? When the primary caregiver develops health challenges. It happens more than you know. Caregivers are susceptible to developing health challenges and, most time, overlook them thinking they will somehow, someway magically disappear. Many caregivers are untrained because they are thrust into […]
To Scream or Not to Scream…That is the Question!
To Scream or Not to Scream…That is the Question! As a caregiver, going about our day can and is often times very exhausting. In our day to day obligations, we often do not look for options to debrief or recharge our battery. Is screaming good for the soul in the caregiving space? Let me be the […]
Caregiving with Difficult Diagnoses
Accepting a difficult diagnosis of a loved one can be an overwhelming feeling. No one expects our loved ones to end up with a chronic illness, let alone a terminal condition. There is no right or wrong answer to managing in this environment. You simply have to take each day as it comes. What is […]
Caregiving: Soiled Clothes and Linens: It happens!
Here is a topic that is not often shared, so let me do the honors. Our older adults often sit and lay more than they move around. When it comes to caring for the elderly, hygiene issues are surprisingly common and soiled clothes and linen can add to the equation. This is especially true as physical […]
Caregiving & Your Diabetic Love One?
Chronic disease, like Type -2 diabetes is a conversation that should go on and on, and on. Why? Because a chronic disease like diabetes, is costly. Many of our elders are faced with diabetes and its effects have created an urgent need to pay attention to the progressive condition. The end results of how diabetes […]
Caregivers are Surrogate Decisionmakers
What do you wish you would have known before becoming a caregiver to your loved-one? You are a surrogate decision maker; simply defined, you are a proxy, substitute, stand-in, representative, back-up, and a necessary ambassador…knee-deep in the role. What are you chasing to understand? What medical equipment are you wishing you had “NOW”? Who are your […]
Caregiving is Hard Work: Physical and Mental
We can all agree that caregiving is hard work. It pulls on our physical limits and challenges our mental capacity. Some of us were thrust into the role, while others saw it coming and pretended it was in our imagination. We may want aging to be an imaginary thought, but it is coming for each […]