Supporting all who care for elders
Did you ever participate in an old fashioned tug-of-war game? Participants line up on either side of a sturdy rope, and at the command, everyone pulls for all their worth! Those on the sidelines yell and cheer, and eventually the stronger side pulls the rope, and the people holding it, to their side. As a […]
How to Navigate an Emotional Tug-of-War for Care Partners Read More »
Some blessings are obvious, but some can take me longer to recognize. My story: The blessing of Jean I worked at a retirement home when I first met Jean. She lived in an independent apartment upstairs and once-a-month she’d call to book a room for her church meeting. Always gracious on the phone, she remained
How to Find Blessing in the Burden of Care Read More »
Caring changes you. Usually, like the decline that brought you to the role, the change is gradual. Not so for Tina. Tina’s Story In 2009, Tina wrote a blog post, remembering a five-year period in her life when she had worked as a caregiver for a family. Their mother struggled with early onset Alzheimer’s and
How to Flourish When Caring Has Turned Your World Upside Down 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 »
Raise your hand if you’ve ever experienced “mommy guilt.” Every hand of every mother reading this should be raised. It’s that common. Some of us experienced it every day. Consider this scenerio: It’s your 5-year-old’s birthday, and although you were up several times in the night with a teething baby, you got up early to
How To Be An Amazing Care Partner–Even When You Fail Read More »
If there was one thing Dorothy knew for sure, it was that walking was good. Several years ago, her husband had a heart attack, and when he recovered, the doctor had said walking would change his life. So they walked. Every day, hand in hand, for hours. But now, in the throes of advanced dementia,
How to Help with Wandering, Aggression and Anxiety Read More »
John was a “frequent flyer” in my work area. Able to propel his wheelchair down the hall from where he lived to our neighbourhood, his favourite activity was to create havoc in our dining room. He’d move from table to table, touching dishes and cutlery with hands which had been everywhere. John wasn’t popular–that’s an
How to Triumph Over Toxic Behaviour in Dementia Read More »
It’s time to get specific! As I plan for a mentally healthy winter, I need to do some introspection. What I discover won’t be the same for you, but the process is similar. Look at what matters to you, large and small, and what you can and can’t control. Then fill your life with what
How to Keep From Emotionally Drowning This Pandemic Winter Read More »
I always dread the winter. I’m not exactly a snow hater, and I recognize its beauty as long as I’m not driving or commuting through it. There’s something cozy about a fireplace and a book. But I struggle with two aspects of winter–lack of light and the absence of colour. Each year I stage mini
How To Increase Empathy While Staggering Through Life Read More »