Supporting all who care for elders
Nine and a half years ago, I wrote my first blog. I pondered what I should discuss as I dove into the unknown waters of blogging. What topic would draw readers and create the audience I looked for? Death. I wrote about death. Before you question my sanity, let me clarify that in the blog […]
Why Death Scared Me and How I Learned to “Do Death” Better Read More »
My favourite times at work were when I could step away from the computer, the meetings and all the other responsibilities and sit and chat with the ladies. We were doing just that one afternoon when the conversation turned to Christmas cake. A long-ago memory bubbled to the surface for me, of a time as
How to Honour Your Elders With Dementia With a Sense of Purpose Read More »
Chances are, you’ve already found at least one area of your life which excites you, makes you forget to eat (I’m sorry, I’m passionate about many things but I seldom forget to eat…) and fills your cup. Life is full, worth the effort, even fun sometimes because of __________. Here are a few facts you
Authentic Ways to Boost Purpose in Your Elder’s Life Read More »
He looked a little embarrassed as he plopped it on my porch. My friend remembered I mentioned wanting this, and when she saw one abandoned on the side of the road, she asked her husband to stop and pick it up. When they delivered it to my door and I saw it, he wasn’t expecting
Why Purpose has a Colossal Role in Your Elder’s Comfort Read More »
Sheryl couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of this before. She’d been caring for Dan for over two years and never once had it occurred to her. “What would happen if I got sick?” She ate healthy, slept reasonably well and kept her stress as low as someone could who dealt with dementia every day. She
When a Caregiver is Sick. How to Plan for Read More »
Sheryl slumped against the back of the couch. The world felt like such a scary place. New variants of the virus, thousands of deaths in India and now the U.K.’s numbers were escalating. Her own community faced a lockdown which the government had extended before the last one ended. Were the schools safe for her
Pandemic Mental Health–How to Focus on What You Can Control Read More »
Sheryl had read about caregiver stress. She knew the signs–feeling overwhelmed, tired all the time, sad, no interest in activities she used to like, and more. She’d experienced them all at some point. Dan had good days when life seemed almost normal, but their number had shrunk, and she struggled to transition from her role
Care Partner Stress–How to Crush it During the Pandemic Read More »
Nora wiggled her small frame in her chair, obviously anxious about something. Her straight, white hair framed her face, set in a permanent look of dissatisfaction. Although blind, I got the feeling that her look came from years of feeling that we could all do better, not her blindness. The piano tuner was making his
How A Delightful Sense of Humour Can Be the Caregiver’s Secret Weapon Read More »
“You are lazy.” I understand. When my mother spat those words at me, she felt frustrated. I’d been asked to clean my room, and I’d started with the bookcase–a grave mistake. She found my 14-year-old body sprawled across the bed, deeply engrossed in one of the familiar volumes, oblivious to the mess piled around me.
The Small Miracle of Rest–How to Embrace Rest as a Friend Read More »
Sometimes the best laid plans fail. This is true in life in general, but reaches a whole new dimension when working with elders. Even when dementia isn’t a factor, sometimes it falls flatter than a busted balloon. Speaking of balloons…even though Muriel was the grumpiest person I knew with no family and only one friend,
An Epic Care Partner Fail–How to Survive and Learn Read More »