It’s that time of year again! Maybe you have seen the commercials on TV or received a phone call about Medicare Open Enrollment deadlines. As a caregiver of an aging parent do you know what are these deadlines are and what you need to do? It is important to separate the hype of the sales … Read More
Happy New Year? I don’t know about you but this time of the year always feels like a new beginning. Even though the leaves are falling and we are coming close to the end of the calendar year, to me the coming of autumn always feels like the start of a new year. September reawakens … Read More
Two days after I finished writing and recording the final lessons and worksheets of the Caregiver School Program I left on my own journey. Walking 400 miles over 31 days through northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago or “The Way”. Even now several months later as my feet have healed and I have returned … Read More
Or how to be a happy caregiver when you just don’t feel like it! Winter is upon us and as the days getting shorter, it seems our mood, energy and patience get shorter too. During this time of year many struggle with feelings of sadness and irritability. Add the stress of being a family caregiver and … Read More
Happy New Year Sojourners! Now is time for resolutions and new beginnings. As you start another year on your caregiving journey I want you to make a resolution to make caring for yourself a higher priority. In Part One of Caregiver School I outlined the 6 essential steps to stress free caregiving. And for this … 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
” 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
The most challenging question facing family care givers is knowing when to step in and take care of an aging parent and when to leave well enough alone. As we care for our loved ones we want our help to be received with a “thank you so much” and not “mind you own business, I can … Read More
When do I take away the keys? That is a question I am asked all of the time. When is it time to tell your aging parent to stop driving? And more importantly should you intervene at all? Many caregivers struggle with these questions as they become more involved with the care of an aging … Read More