This is a podcast and article I did for The Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). The piece is a shorter version of an address I gave at the American Academy of CP and Developmental Medicine Conference in 2016. What do doctors need to know about the lived experience of parenting
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THE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: The Ultimate Caregiver’s Playlist
Music is often the soundtrack of our lives. Particular songs evoke memories of personal pain, triumphs, love, commitment and maybe a broken heart. Other tunes just make us happy by prodding us to smile and dance. Caring for another person is a journey full of some of the greatest dramas
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: An Adventure With My Mom and a Surprise Ending
Last week I decided to keep a promise I’d made to my Mom – I would take her out for dinner and spend a night away with her in a really nice hotel. My mother is like Thelma or Louise trapped in a frail, 95 year old body. Despite the
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: The ‘C’ in Canada Stands For Caring. Happy 150th Birthday, Canada!
by Vickie Cammack, my friend and co-writer who contributes often and especially recently because my son is in the hospital and I am with him. July 1st is Canada Day and this year is our country’s 150th birthday. There is much to celebrate with the arrival of Canada’s 150thbirthday. Our
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Ease the ER Experience: Awesome Tip From a Reader!
Facebook is a fantastic information sharing tool for natural caregivers. The Caregivers’ Living Room has a page Here and lately we’ve been chatting about giving doctors and nurses an accurate picture of our loved ones in hospital. When our loved ones are elderly or have disabilities in the emergency room,
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?
My friend and colleague Vickie Cammack and I co-write a weekly column for Troy Media called Caring Connections. Vickie cares for her Mom and here, she tells a story that I think will resonate with everyone here in the Caregivers’ Living Room. Do You See What I See? One rarely uses
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Lessons I Learned About Happiness as a Disability Parent
My husband and I were alone with the doctor in the hospital playroom when she gave us the news about our six month-old baby son. “Never be normal” are the words I recall. I also remember “generalized cerebral atrophy.” I felt a strange, out of body sensation as time and
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: SHARING ELDERCARE WITH SIBLINGS
It is my pleasure to host this guest post by Hanna Landman. Sharing eldercare with siblings is a subject that’s especially close to my heart because I share care for my Mom with my sister (who shoulders most of the care because she lives in the same city as our
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: WHEN FAMILIES VISIT PATIENTS IN HOSPITAL, WE WORK
I have the privilege of writing a weekly column called Caring Connections for Troy Media. My friend and colleague Vickie Cammack and I alternate weeks – have a read of Vickie’s insightful pieces too! Here’s my latest piece with its original title (which I like better for our group of
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Tongue-Tied in Caregiving: Why is Asking and Offering So Hard?
Most days I drive across a bridge linking my neighborhood with our son Nick’s suburb. Homeless folks hang out at the stop lights either side of the bridge. They bob between the cars, hat in hand, trying to make eye contact. They smile, with or without teeth. Depending on my
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Mom: You’ve Been Here All This Time
Very recently my sister shared with me a beautiful New York Times opinion piece titled ‘Our Mothers As We Never Saw Them’. The author became interested in contemplating the photos of women before they were mothers. Gazing at these young faces and beautiful bodies, so bright and innocent, made me
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: WHY WON’T ANYONE HELP?!
Yesterday, I read an excellent blog post titled “Asking for Help” on the Caregiver Space. The article is chock full of good ideas and practical advice. It was the comments that got me thinking, though. Many sounded like this: What if no one asks if they can help? That’s my problem…..
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Are There Limits To What We Will Do For Love in Caregiving?
A couple of days ago, I saw a play that made me ask the question, “Are there limits to what we will do for love in caregiving? If so, what are they for me? Are there limits to love in care receiving?” The play was Kill Me Now by Brad
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Meltdowns in Kids with Disabilities: Coping Tips for Parents
By guest blogger Kristen Heller Whether you have a child who has Down’s syndrome, Asperger’s syndrome, or a child who is somewhere on the autism spectrum, there’s a good chance you’ve dealt with a meltdown at some point as a parent. As a single mom (I’m a widow) caring for
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Give Up My Job to Give Care? OK, Pay Me.
Many years ago and before we had children, my husband and I took a week-long holiday at a Caribbean resort. We befriended a couple from Baltimore who had an interesting story to tell. When I asked “What do you do?”, the woman answered, “Well, I used to be in the
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: The Unfairness of Caregiving
I’ve been trying to remember the first time I felt the outrage of injustice. I recall that in about grade four, I was playing outside my school when the bell rang to announce the end of recess. It was winter and the snow was piled up high beside the school.
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: The Surprising Things I Learned About My Mom When She Moved
It seems like my Mom has been moving for months. It feels like over the past while, my sister and I have been operating in semi-crisis mode with our mother. She moved out of her apartment a few weeks ago, but we didn’t know if her new residence would be
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAILS: COMMUNICATING IN CAREGIVING
Here’s a scenario that every caregiver will recognise: Your elderly parent has fallen and you’ve left work to be with her at the ER. Tests will be performed including x-rays and it will be a few hours before a diagnosis is made. A paid caregiver for your parent is due
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: SEEKING NEW WAYS TO VIEW RETIREMENT
I love this guest post by Leandro Mueller because it reminds me to think of my own retirement together with my Mom’s. We all need to re-conceptualize aging in order to embed meaning and purpose in our lives whether we’re 60 or 90 years old. As a way to commemorate
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: MESSAGE FOR NATIONAL CAREGIVER DAY: I SEE YOU, I SALUTE YOU
The first Tuesday in April is National Caregiver Day. It’s a day to stand up and pay special attention to YOU who care for someone you love. Or YOU whose job it is to care for others with kindness and compassion. I SEE YOU.I salute you for waking early to
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