Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Do you feel like running away?
You may have restless caregiver syndrome.
What?s that, you ask?
I may have made up the term, but I certainly experienced it firsthand.
Have you seen the commercials for restless leg syndrome?
They?re kind of quirky, and I?m not saying that it?s not a serious disorder, but it?s presented […]
Monday, April 28, 2008
Different personalities handle life, death, and caregiving differently.
We all have gifts to offer the world and to offer as a caregiver.?\
Stop trying to be something you’re not.
Stop trying to be your mother.
There are things you’re good at things you aren’t.
Accept this and let go of the guilt.?
By examining your basic personality traits, you can […]
Sunday, April 27, 2008
One of the practices hospice?recommends is to ask your loved one’s fforgiveness–and to offer yours.
I’ve been thinking about this all day. The importance, or power of forgiveness and how it might keep us here on earth, lingering. Everything hospice does is to make passing easy, comfortable, and to give a sense of closure to everyone.
And […]
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Is your parent or spouse negative all or most of the time?
Monday, April 21, 2008
Dear Dr. Gloria,
I am hopeful you can offer some thoughts on our situation. My twin sister went through a divorce in 2006. In March of 2007, our father fell ill and my sister and her youngest son, Cody, 13, moved in with him to take care of him.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Statistics show that people spend about 4.5 years caregiving.
The average person with Alzheimer’s lives 5-8 years. That means there’s some time they might not be receiivng care–the early years before they’ve been diagnosed when they’re able to cover it up, make excuses, or their family members are just?too inundated with work and children to […]
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
?To My Natasha,
Every tear I shed, I shed for you my angel.
The more tears I shed means the more I loved you,
so with out my tears I am nothing ,
My pain is also my love for you,
so how can I wish it away,
Without pain there would have been no love,
My pain is so deep I […]
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
After all the caregiving, all the hospital stays, doctor visits, baths, pills, and exhaustion, you have one more hurdle–the dying process itself. One of the toughest decisions you’ll have to make is whether or not to insert a feeding tube.
This occurs when you’re at your lowest. Beyond exhausted. Numb.
You call hospice and more decisions need […]
Friday, April 11, 2008
One of the biggest issues I had as a caregiver was no energy!
I knew I was doing a lot, caring for my mom (She had Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s and lived?with us) ?and raising three daughters, but I still felt like most of my work was at home, not terribly hard or fast-paced,?so why did […]
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
?So what’s your dirty little caregiving vice??
Everyone has them and caregivers are no exception.
?
Caregivers are under enormous amounts of stress, so it’s only natural to turn to something that’s comforting.?The other danger is that caregivers spend an enormous amount of time at home and alone–a breeding ground for vices.
?
I’m all for comfort, but […]
Open to Hope is an online community offering inspirational stories of loss, hope and recovery. We believe hope is the bridge between loss and recovery.
