How did you become the caregiver for your loved one? Parents are sick...Dad has transition, Mom needs help. Has your relationship changed with the loved one that you are caring for? If so how? Mom is dependent on me now. What is the hardest thing about being a caregiver and the most rewarding thing? Experiencing [...]
To listen fully means to pay close attention to what is being said beneath the words. You listen not only to the 'music,' but to the essence of the person speaking. - Peter Senge "Real connections can't happen without effective listening," says Beverly Edgehill, president and chief executive of Partnership Inc. "Listening is more [...]
The responsibility of providing care for an aging or ill loved one is a challenge in its own right. But when a care recipient is domineering about how and when every single task is done, it’s bound to exasperate those who are in charge of their daily care. Maybe Mom demands that you keep her [...]
I don’t fight fires or cure the sick. I’ve never scaled a mountain or scored a winning touchdown. In many ways, my time on this earth is spent living an average life. But everyday, in little ways, I get to be somebody’s hero and the feeling is like no other. For you see, I am [...]
If you’re the caregiver for an individual who uses a wheelchair, owning a wheelchair accessible van is helpful and can be more affordable with these tips. Family Caregiver As the caregiver for a family member, you can choose a wheelchair van based on the needs of the person in your care. Wheelchair vans come with [...]
As a growing number of the estimated 78 million Baby Boomers transition into their senior years, an increased focus is placed on the health of this important group of Americans. According to the United States Census Bureau, more than 12 percent of the total U.S. population is over age 65 and, of that segment, more [...]
It’s a conversation no family wants to have, but one that is vitally important – talking to a loved one about memory loss or cognitive decline. Guest article by the Alzheimer’s Association Mary Foss of Eagan, Minnesota, said she knew it was time to broach this sensitive topic with her husband, Darrell after she noticed [...]
Married almost 40 years after a poorly worded pick-up line, Ira and Sandy Asherman now live with dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. Asherman Sandy on carousel-TCV That was Sandy’s evaluation during a workshop lead by Ira in Glens Falls, New York, more than 40 years ago. She replied, “You can do better…” after he approached [...]
Since the person with AD no longer possesses the mental skills to be completely independent, a special brand of leadership is called for. At least one person must assume overall authority for ensuring the well-being of the person with AD but it is best to include others too if at all possible. Much work is [...]
Caregivers are often the first line of defense in protecting the elderly and infirm – especially when it comes to making sure medications are obtained and taken properly. Senior citizens are the fast-growing sector of the population, and age often leads to the need for many medications to treat many conditions and chronic diseases. Each [...]
Do you find the need to repeat yourself more often than not to the person you are caring for? Does your talking level closely resemble your yelling level just so your loved one can hear you? Are you speaking so slowly that you end up losing your train of thought? It is possible that the [...]
Guest article by Cheryl Levin-Folio My husband, Michael, was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 56. It was surreal and hard to swallow, but we didn’t run away. Nor did we try to escape the stigma that accompanied the devastating news. We let it sink in and created a plan to live our [...]
Strokes, or “brain attacks,” disable Americans more than any other disease. With an interruption of blood to the brain, a stroke may have similar symptoms; but as everyone’s brain is different, so are the effects of each person’s stroke. There is no rhyme or reason to the severity of strokes and or to the recovery [...]
What is it like to be a caregiver? Your clients and their loved ones probably never expected to be caring for a person who is sick or has a disability. As professional caregivers, we need to ensure a meaningful quality of life for our clients, the care recipient, and ourselves. Just as the care recipient [...]
Keep your loved one comfortable and follow the recommendations of his or her health care provider. Keep others in the home healthy by washing hands and household surfaces frequently. Ensure that all medications are taken as directed. Keep your loved one in a separate space from other members of the household. Everyone in the home, [...]
When caring for people who have the flu: Avoid being face to face with the sick person. If possible, it is best to spend the least amount of time in close contact with a sick person. When holding sick children, place their chin on your shoulder so they will not cough in your face. Wash [...]
Winter is a special time for celebration. It should also be a time for added caution if you or someone in your family is an older adult. It is the season for falls, slips on icy streets and other dangers that can be especially harmful for older adults. "Something as simple as a fall can [...]
Before the ball drops in Times Square, promise yourself this year will be the year you become your own best caregiver. Resolve to do what thousands of others need to do – make time for yourself, because in so doing, you make your time with others better and more valuable. Here are some ideas to [...]
