Trying to describe our son Nick’s seizures to his neurologist was really difficult until we realized we could film them and use our appointment time to watch the real thing. Nothing captures what really happens during a seizure like recording the event on video. The same goes for unusual or
Continue readingAuthor: Donna Thomson
THE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: IS THERE A DENTIST IN THE HOUSE? YES, THERE IS!
Last week I walked into my Mom’s seniors’ residence and did a double-take. In the foyer, a woman wearing a white lab coat and paper face mask was peering into the mouth of a seated resident, the elderly woman’s teeth illuminated by a headlamp on the examiner’s head. I touched the
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: INNOVATION: USING TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT WORKING CAREGIVERS
A couple of weeks ago, an article about a new caregiving technology for families caught my eye. BookJane is a Toronto based app available across Canada. It’s a platform that enables families to book both child care and senior care on a single site. Such a whole family life-lens is
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: HELP! I NEED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN MEMORY CARE AND LONG-TERM CARE!
Choosing between supportive living options for our elder loved ones can be confusing and overwhelming. Here, guest writer Becky Susko of SeniorAdvisor.com explains all. Thanks, Becky! When exploring long-term care options, two of the most frequently asked questions we hear is “What is the difference between regular long-term-care facilities versus
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Service With a Smile: The Emotional Work of Caregiving
Emotional labor is the process of managing feelings and expressions to fulfill the emotional requirements of a job. More specifically, workers are expected to regulate their emotions during interactions with customers, co-workers and superiors. – WikipediaThinking about it, I’d estimate that caregiving is roughly 75% emotional labor and only 25% physical work. How we smile,
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Here is Caregiver Wisdom We All Need Now – From the Treasure Chest
I recognized her instantly – a fellow caregiver with the heart of a dreamer. Someone who strives to decipher a meaning and purpose within the serious challenges that life throws our way. Ozioma Egwuonwu is a wise woman who presented to listening caregivers during CareNovate Magazine’s recentIMPACT80 Virtual Summit. Ozioma described her mother’s
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: DESIGNING WHAT WE NEED THEN AND NOW
“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” ― Mark Twain Caregivers of children or adults with mobility challenges know what I’m talking about when I say that getting dressed is a lot harder than making dinner. Ensuring winter warmth is a nightmare for carers of
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Mama Peaches’ Wisdom – Book Review for Alzheimer’s Caregivers
Fans of caregiver advocate and author Christopher-Charles Chaney’s ‘MamaPeaches and Me: Wit and Wisdom for Worn-Out Caregivers’ will be thrilled that Chaney has penned a new volume for caregivers of loved ones with dementia or Alzheimer’s. ‘Mama Peaches’ Hot Slices of Wisdom: Mama’s Timeless Truths and MyTimely Caregiving Knowledge’ is
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: 5 Facts Most Caregivers Don’t Know About Pressure Sores
Pressure sores are a serious threat to the life and health of our loved ones. That’s why I thought it was so important to publish a guest post on this issue. Thank you, Chris Palmer! Pressure sores or pressure ulcers are a result of staying in one position for an extended
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: An Unimaginable Choice: Trading Parental Rights for Care
A CBC freedom of information request to the Nova Scotia government has revealed a terrible reality for children with mental illness and their families. Children too ill for the province’s 15 group homes are housed in residential facilities. But between January 2011 and December 2016, 2,655 of those children were
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: THE REAL COST OF CAREGIVER EXHAUSTION
A new University of Michigan study suggests that tired family caregivers are associated with more frequent ER visits and higher overall health care costs for the person they care for. Emergency room staff call this ‘Pop drop’ – when medical staff sense that the real reason for the hospital visit is
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: LOSING YOUR IDENTITY AND BEING A CAREGIVER
Guest Post by Caregiver Melanie Anderson – thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience, Melanie!Being my husband’s primary caregiver, for much of the time, his only caregiver, has taken it’s toll on me. One of my biggest challenges was losing a sense of self. As Eric’s care got more
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: The Eclipse, The Future and the EQ of Caring
Something about this week’s solar eclipse has me thinking about the future of humanity. The sun strangely disappearing on Monday reminds us all that anything can happen. We are, after all, at the mercy of the natural world. The eclipse seems like a good reason to imagine future societies and
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: FRIENDSHIP is in the Heart of Every Caregiver
I’m up at our family cottage on a lake in the mountains of Quebec. Yesterday it rained, so naturally I gravitated to the bookshelf in the corner by the fireplace. I found this 1910 copy of “The Gift of Friendship and Other Verses”. Let me share with you one verse
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: POWER DRESSING FOR CAREGIVERS: GOOD OR BAD?
Yesterday I read a fascinating blog post by the wonderful Denise Brown, founder of Caregiving.com. Her piece is titled Dressing the Part: Family Caregiver, MD. It argues for caregivers to wear a lab coat when we accompany loved ones to medical appointments. Brown is fed up with clinical professionals not treating
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: “Just Let Go” Doesn’t Work When a Loved One is Medically Complex
Jessica McLean is a writer who cares for her Mom. I asked Jess to write about the challenges of letting go and trusting others with her Mom’s care. “Just letting go” doesn’t work when a loved one is medically complex, as Jess learned. A few years ago, my mother ended
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: CELEBRATIONS CAN HEAL YOUR WEARY SOUL
–> For caregivers who are exhausted and lonely, the idea of creating a home celebration can be outlandish. Often, we think, “what is there to celebrate? I’m too tired to take on a project that isn’t absolutely necessary!” But celebrations can heal. And they don’t have to be big or
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: WHAT HAPPENED NEXT: WHEN A CAREGIVER GOT CANCER
Paid or unpaid, caregivers are never supposed to get sick, right? But sometimes we do. Sue Robins owns a health care communications company and she also happens to be the mother of a young man with Down Syndrome. Robins used to blog about caring for her son and his encounters with the
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: HOW TO TALK ABOUT CAREGIVING AT WORK
Talking about caregiving at work can be difficult and stressful. And that’s important because 35% of ALL employed Canadians have caring responsibilities at home. Dr.Zachary White is an expert in the barriers that natural caregivers face in explaining their responsibilities at home to others, including employers. Dr. White is an Associate
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Caring for Non-Speaking Loved Ones in Pain
What does pain look like in a person who cannot speak? Most often with our son Nicholas, it looks like this: When his smile suddenly turns to a ‘stricken’ look, we know that Nick is in pain. There are other signs too – sweaty palms and feet, high heart rate,
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