Supporting all who care for elders
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 »
Someday, the pandemic will be over. Someday, we will enjoy family dinners and hug our grandchildren and tuck our masks away at the back of our underwear drawer. Someday, future generations will study this horrific time and wonder how we lived through it. What did we learn? Each of us will have our own take
Loneliness and Isolation Among Our Elders: How do We Battle the Assault? Read More »
They are everywhere but you may not know them. It might be the person in the next office at work, ahead of you in the grocery line-up or living on your street. They might be your friends or your parents. They are living with chronic pain, and you may not be aware. If you are,
How I Learned Authentic Lessons From Being in Chronic Pain Read More »
“Others have it worse than you.” I’m aware of this. People who struggle with diseases that may kill them, and which debilitate them along the way, carry a heavier load. Who am I to whine about pain and disability, especially when it may be temporary? We need to be careful with statements like this. Although
A Behind the Scenes Look at Walking with Chronic Pain Read More »
I watched my favourite show with a sinking heart. Rebecca, a widow and the mother of grown triplets, lost her phone and became unreasonably flustered. She mentioned that Miguel, her second husband, had just replaced this phone as she’d lost its predecessor. In the next scene, she goes shopping and can’t find her way home.
Why Is It So Hard To Think Of Receiving Care From My Loved One? Read More »
In the week after my husband died, several milestones occurred, each bringing its own white-hot pain. Meeting with the pastor and the funeral director to plan a service. Entering the casket room and picking out a plain, pine box. Writing out the words to say at the service. Saying those words. Greeting people afterwards. Talking
Learning How To Receive Care From Those You Care For Read More »
Think of these scenarios: George was a great husband and father. He took his boys to innumerable hockey practices and provided for his family. He and his wife went out dancing and the family enjoyed many vacations together. He was a great dad and husband. Now George is elderly. He describes the working of his mind
Finding A Sense of Purpose Read More »
I snuggled in my spot on the couch watching Midsomer Murders on Netflix. This episode involved a suspicious death at a retirement home. The main character’s daughter came to visit an elderly aunt, but yielded to the charm of another resident–a gentleman who might have presented as quite the rapscallion in his youth. As she
Don’t Let our Elders Disappear Read More »
Have you ever thought about what gives you purpose? What makes it worth getting out of bed in the morning? What gives you satisfaction at the end of the day? Which moments in your day do you look back on and treasure, because of something significant? Purpose is key for all of us. There may
How to Find Purpose With Your Elder This Christmas Read More »
Sometimes, it looks like a knitted square. My knitting group is small at the moment. Just three ladies contribute, but for each of them, it’s an important part of who they are. For Janice, it curbs anxiety. As each day wanes, she struggles with anxious demons who torture her with thoughts of the night. The
What Does Purpose Look Like? Read More »