Open to Hope Articles
Do you want to read stories of others who have been where you are? Are you looking for bereavement help, and advice? Look no further. We offer over 3,000 articles written by our Open to Hope authors.
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Are You a Bad Caregiver? Do You Know One? Signs of Elder Abuse
May 5, 2008
No, you’re not.
Bad caregivers don’t seek out blogs on caregiving.
They don’t attend caregiving seminars and workshops.
They don’t worry about how they’re treating their loved ones.
Bad caregivers feel completely justified in their actions.
So, lay that aside.
If you lost your temper, it’s okay.
Make a plan on how to avoid it in the future.
Make a plan on how […]
Do You Resent Your Sibling For Not Helping You Care Give?
May 2, 2008
In most families, there is a primary caregiver no matter how many siblings there are. Some try to divvy up the responsibilities, but it?s rarely equal distribution because of differing people?s lives?jobs, distance, abilities, etc. In many families, one sibling gets the brunt of the responsibility.
?
And even if you agreed to it, over time, […]
What’s Worse Than Being a Caregiver?
May 1, 2008
A friend of mine called me from her mother’s bedside.
Her mother?was dying. In-patient hospice. It wouldn’t be long.
My heart ached. I knew her mother. I could hear the sound of her voice in my head.
She was 78 years old. Not that old, but cancer doesn’t care–young, old.
Everyone had flown on to say their good byes. […]
Do You Have Restless Caregiver Syndrome?
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 […]
The Power of Forgiveness
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 […]
How Do I Help My Twin Sister?
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.
The Four Cycles of Caregiving: Where Are You?
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 […]
Why I Chose Against a Feeding Tube
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 […]
No Get Up and Go? 5 Caregiving Energy Zappers
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 […]
