Pat Thorne 
Six months ago today was the last time I spoke to my mother. She died peacefully in her sleep early the next morning. I didn’t write much about her in my previous blogs mostly because she was such a private person and her story was not mine to tell. But also because, from a family … Read More
Grief and the holidays will go hand in hand for some families this year. Many of you are facing this time with sadness and dread. Struggling to figure out how to “celebrate” the holidays while grieving the loss of someone you love. As a family caregiver you may be experiencing this yourself – even if your … Read More
Hello Sojourners Wondering where I’ve been? It has been quite an exciting year The past 10 months have been quite busy for me, filled with big changes and new beginnings. So much has changed over the past few months it is hard to believe it all was possible. It all started back in February when I … Read More
“My brother is visiting and he thinks Mom is just fine! And to make matters worse Mom seems to fool him that she is just fine! What do I do?” Peggy, North Carolina This is a common frustration shared by so many family caregivers. When the siblings or adult children who are at a distance … Read More
You may not be but the one you’re caring for probably is… Today I am writing at the request of a fellow blogger who has a message she wanted me to share with family caregivers. Becca lives with a chronic illness and in her blog Chronic Beauty (click here to read) she shares what life … Read More
In case you’ve been wondering where I’ve been… I’ve been driving MYSELF crazy! These past several weeks have been quite a blur – the view from my car window as I drove back and forth to North Carolina. Last I wrote I was trying to juggle all of the needs of those around me and … Read More
“How do I care for myself when everyone around me needs me to take care of them?” Pat from Virginia This question poses one of the most common caregiver dilemmas – the sandwiched caregiver. Those family caregivers who are taking care of their children, jobs, home as well as caring for an aging parent. Those … Read More
” It Depends…” That was the answer the attorney gave to a caregiver at the elder law seminar I recently attended. A very frustrating and unhelpful response but it is the right one. But what does “it” depend on? Well everyone’s circumstances are different and laws vary widely from state to state, so a lot … Read More
Making self care a priority In last week’s blog I focused on the importance of taking care of your self and introduced you to the Caregiver Bill of Rights. In my Facebook posts this past week I have been giving you daily reminders of those rights and have suggested ways to put them into practice. … Read More
Where do you begin as a Caregiver? Many family caregivers find themselves well into this role before they realize what has happened. Whether suddenly at a hospital bedside or slowly over time, families quickly realize just how difficult caring for someone can be at times. They search for information and answers to help make better … Read More