Today I am at the lake, remembering. Nicholas used to come with us here – to swim in our crystal clear water, to play charades with family (Jim and I met on the lake, so there are a lot of us here) and to share in family meals on the
Continue readingAuthor: Donna Thomson
THE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: My Name is Donna Thomson and I am an Expert…
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending a workshop for women in leadership positions who want to learn the ins and outs of writing Op-Eds for national newspapers. Shari Graydon is the founder of “Informed Opinions“, the organization that offers this service as part of its social enterprise. Shari is
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: Kill Me Now, I’m Disabled – The Assisted Suicide Debate
Yesterday, I was listening to the radio on my drive home from Montreal. I had driven from our cottage in the Quebec Laurentians in the early morning to join my sister because, finally, our Mum was being discharged from the hospital after a long stay. There is a lot to
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: Fathers, Dads, Papas, Grandfathers
Today is Father’s Day. In the realm of disability and family, we talk most often about mothers. But today, I would like to say a few words about what it means to appreciate the Dads in our lives. My own father, James Edward Thomson, was a gentle, kind and funny
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: Haunting Memories
I guess we are all haunted sometimes by things we have done in the past. When I was a graduating high school student, I was lucky to have a summer job. I was hired on as a life skills teacher at a sheltered workshop for people with developmental disabilities. The
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: Who Deserves Taxpayers’ Dollars and Who Doesn’t?
As I leave for Montreal to visit my Mum in hospital, I noted this article from the Huffington Post. Have a read and let me know what you think! PS: Here’s one little boy (Nicholas at age about 7 years) learning to talk using a Dynavox 3100 computer with head
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: Managing Care Online!
Last week, I noticed a health blog in the New York Times titled “Managing Care Online“. I had to read it and write to respond, describing our experience with a care coordination tool called “Tyze“. I’ve written about Tyze both in my book and in previous blog posts. Here is
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: New Future Planning Magazine Hot Off the Press!
A few months ago, I travelled to Toronto at the invitation of Louise Kinross, Director of Communications at Holland Bloorview Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital. I spoke to the parents there about my book and the Capability Approach, but while I was in the city, I took the opportunity to visit PLAN
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: Great Ideas on Housing, Support and Networked Care
One of the people I admire most in the care field is Alex Fox, CEO of Shared Lives Plus in the UK. I met Alex about four years ago when we both attended an event – I have forgotten the speaker, but I will always appreciate meeting Alex that day.
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: Families as Lobbyists to Get What They Need
I mentioned a couple of days ago that I will be teaching a workshop with Ottawa’s Advocacy School. My workshop will be titled “How to Know What You Want and Get What You Need” and today, an article from an online magazine called “The Lobby Monitor” wrote about it. I
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: Medicare in the 21st Century – Change is Afoot!
On May 23, I was lucky enough to hear Andre Picard speak. He’s the health and social policy writer for the Globe and Mail newspaper, but he’s much more than just a good journalist. Picard is the 2012 CIBC Scholar-in-Residence Chair at the Conference Board of Canada. Picard chose to
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: Under Siege by the Fates
Here’s the thing about being a parent to a son or daughter who is totally dependent – as you get older, you feel more vulnerable, not less. You begin to give over responsibility for care to others… doctors who are no longer paediatricians, but adult physicians, carers, social workers, pharmacists,
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: I Am Leading A New Workshop for Caregivers!
I am so pleased to announce that I will be working with a Canadian organization called The Advocacy School – My workshop is for families giving care to a loved one and here is a description from the website. I hope you’ll share with your friends and colleagues! The plan
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: Sharing The Care
Looking after a child with severe disabilities, then having another baby, then helping to look after an ageing Mum have all taught me some life lessons about surviving the caregiving experience. Here are a few essential truths I have learned from experience: – No one can give good care by
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: Beauty and Difference – A Celebration
I love clothes, I love fashion, I love feeling wonderful in clothes I love, I love shoes, I love getting dressed up for parties, I love getting my hair done, I love the way I feel when I get dressed up and go out. That’s the girl in me. The
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: Thank You to Our Nurses – National Nurses Week
Today marks the mid-point of National Nursing Week. This year’s theme identified by the Canadian Nurses Association is “The Health of Our Nation”. The international theme this year is “Closing the Gap: From Evidence to Action”. These themes speak to the heart of our family life and what nursing means
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: Austerity and Innovation – Reinventing Society
Over the last week, I have been busy – let me bring you up to date. Last Wednesday, May 2, I tuned in to a podcast of the MARS lecture on “Austerity and Innovation” given by Geoff Mulgan who is the Chief Exec of the National Endowment for Science, Technology
Continue reading