We all know the commercial that ends with, “You’re in good hands with___.” I remember a time when I must have thought my name went in that blank. My mother had gone from eating everything on her plate to eventually barely eating or drinking anything at all. I had been trying everything I knew toContinue reading “Whose Hands?”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
When You Don’t Have The Mind
I recently read an article that encouraged people to focus on what they can do rather than give in to what they can’t do. That may sound reasonable, but the truth is, there are just some things we don’t even want to do. The first time I had to take care of my mother’s personalContinue reading “When You Don’t Have The Mind”
Connecting With Old Friends
As a busy caregiver, you may feel as though you don’t have the time to connect with old friends. But this consideration is not just for you, but for your loved one. Is it possible to connect them with an old friend? One Sunday afternoon I followed an unction to take Mom’s friend, Mrs. Foster,Continue reading “Connecting With Old Friends”
A Tip Worth Following
As a caregiver, I wasn’t aware of all the financial options I had as a taxpayer. This is information well worth knowing. When you have time, check out the article AARP publishes “Important IRS Tax Tips for Family Caregivers” at http://www.aarp.org/caregiving/financial-legal/info-2017/tax-tips-family-caregivers.html
Use Your Secret Weapon
One friend’s book about his faith struggle with a terminal illness and his initial refusal to seek medical care reminded me that not everyone needing a caregiver is a willing patient. Even those who seek medical treatment sometimes refuse to follow the medical directions given. Then there is the small cluster of Alzheimer’s patients whoContinue reading “Use Your Secret Weapon”
Build a Bridge
Illnesses, weddings, and funerals have a way of bringing out the craziness in people, wouldn’t you say? Yet some people are wise enough to use occasions such as these to bring hope and healing into families. One son whose mother is in the final stages of cancer and now receives Hospice care recently said,Continue reading “Build a Bridge”
What’s in Your Head?
One credit card commercial challenges us to think about our finances and ends with the question, “What’s in your wallet?” Similar to that, metacognition is simply thinking about your thinking; and life will teach you that what’s in your head has a way of determining how you feel and what you do. When youContinue reading “What’s in Your Head?”
You Don’t Have to be Happy
Decades ago, we smiled, danced, and sang along with the popular song, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” It was a nice idea. But is it really possible to be happy all the time? What about when the nursing home you had trusted gets slack in caring for your loved one? Or the home health care nurseContinue reading “You Don’t Have to be Happy”
Admit Your Anger
You never signed up for this, did you? The day may come when you feel stuck with all that being a caregiver requires of you. Surely you had other plans – like your own life, right? But some things just seem to fall into our laps. We may even check the mirror periodically to seeContinue reading “Admit Your Anger”
Travel With Them
During a brief period of lucidity in my mother’s journey through Alzheimer’s, she told my sister, “I think my brain is shrinking.” She had also once asked me if I could tell that her mind was going fast. Interestingly enough, our mother had battled depression and mood swings a great portion of her life, soContinue reading “Travel With Them”