This year is so tiring – everyone I know feels exhausted and …. spent. On the other hand, many of those same people have put a lot of energy into decorating this year. Christmas trees are nearly sold out, outdoor lights adorn most houses (because no one is going away
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THE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Our 2020 Intl Day of People With Disabilities Agenda: No More Poverty!
The disability community in Canada has a long history of being fractured. Disability groups have traditionally competed for scarce resources – that’s just the way things were. Jockeying for limited funding resources can pit the interests of various disability communities against each other, a situation in which there are no real
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: WHAT THE SOUL NEEDS
Yesterday I was reminded how good it feels to be human. I realized the great effort I have been making to be OK during this pandemic without much touch or community. For the first time since last February, I went out to an art gallery. The National Gallery of Canada
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: National Caregivers Month in a Year Like No Other
This morning I looked at all my posts from early November since I began writing this blog (eleven years ago). At this time annually, to mark the beginning of National Caregivers Month, I would pen something I thought would help caregivers feel seen and valued. This year I think we
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: HOW CAREGIVING CHANGES US: WHAT DIES, WHAT GROWS
You may not accept the title of caregiver. Regardless, you have cared for another, enduring ongoing uncertainty and self-doubt, amid evolving and unwanted relationship changes, and changing networks. It has become a part of you. To deny this aspect of your life is to deny you. You discovered these things
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: OUTSIDE IN THE COLD: Caregiving During Covid19
Caregiving during Covid19 has put a huge, extra strain on caregivers. It’s hard enough walking the journey of illness or disability with someone you care deeply about, but the pandemic has amplified our pain by separating us from our loved ones in hospital or long term care. We’re forced to
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: CAREGIVING: THE DIFFERENCE WE MAKE IN HOSPITALS
FROM THE PEN OF A CRITICAL CARE DOCTOR: THE DIFFERENCE THAT CAREGIVERS (ESSENTIAL PARTNERS IN CARE) MAKE IN THE HOSPITAL. “It was a tenet of my critical care training. Family members were an integral part of the care that we delivered. They keep us accountable and remind us that our
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: THE MILLSTONE OF HAPPINESS
Yesterday, I was driving to visit Nicholas, listening to the radio as I always do in the car. On air was an episode of Krista Tippet’s podcast ON BEING. Krista was interviewing an author about the idea of joy and how it differs from happiness. “The millstone of happiness”
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: FOR THE ONE WHO IS EXHAUSTED, A BLESSING
FOR THE ONE WHO IS EXHAUSTED, A BLESSING I’m not gonna lie to you – I am exhausted. Not just tired, but a ‘Covid’ kind of dispirited lethargic kind of tired. It comes not just from giving care, but from monotony and loneliness. I feel a heaviness and absence of
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: And Still, The Road Stretches On…
Recently, my co-author and friend Dr. Zachary White and I have been chatting about caregiving with the distinguished Assistant Professor of nursing at Loyola University (New Orleans), Dr. Warren Hebert. Warren is an inspiring leader in the areas of family caregiving and home care. Our chat led us to topics
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: "HOW I BECAME THE ULTIMATE CAREGIVER"
I’ve been an admirer of Tena L. Scallan’s advocacy work on behalf of caregivers for years. Tena is a natural born nurturer who combined her talent for entrepreneurship with her care experience. Tena IS The Ultimate Caregiving Expert – you can see it in the love and determination in her
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: SAFE HIRING OF HOMECARE DURING COVID
JOIN ME AND CO-PRESENTER MIKE GEORGE FOR A VIRTUAL GROUP SESSION ON SAFELY HIRING HOME CARE DURING COVID! DETAILS AND REGISTRATION HERE – Thursday, June 25th at Noon, eastern time Here’s the press release! The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many frightened family caregivers to assess whether or not it’s safe to
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: A FREE CAREGIVER WEBINAR SERIES JUST FOR YOU
If you are a regular or even occasional reader of my blog, you know that Dr. Zachary White and I co-wrote a book called The Unexpected Journey of Caring: The Transformation From Loved One to Caregiver. Well, here is some exciting news – Zachary and I are giving a FREE
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: TOGETHER, A MOM AND A PATIENT INVENT WHAT’S HELPFUL
Brenda Agnew is a friend and colleague in the disability family/caregiving community in Canada. So when I saw her image in the National Post while scanning my newsfeed the other day, of course I was intrigued. Brenda is the Mother of her son Maclain who has cerebral palsy, but she’s
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: THE WORLD IS BEAUTIFUL
In the worst of times, the best we have is art. It transforms, heals, elevates us. We all need this simple message of hope. That, a walk in the woods and, as my husband said this morning, a paint set. “You cannot look at the sun or death for very long.”
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: DESIGNING AN AFFORDABLE, HAPPY & SECURE FUTURE
I’m always on the lookout for innovative housing models for older adults and recently, I came across one I really like. Jake Rothstein is a Florida-based entrepreneur on a mission for social change. I was especially interested in his ideas for older adult co-housing because a) I love the Golden
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: CELEBRATING MOTHERS
At the moment of birth, there is suddenly stillness and a collective intake of breath. There is recognition by everyone that a momentous and transformative event has taken place – a miracle. A new baby is placed on a mother’s breast and life begins. This is the baby’s first caring relationship
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: What I Learned From the Film ‘Crip Camp’
I just finished watching the fascinating, fun, exciting and yes, inspirational Netflix documentary film, Crip Camp. Crip Camp is the story of a summer camp for disabled teens that ran during the 70’s and just happened to spawn leaders of the modern movement for disability rights. I highly recommend this
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: A SPECIAL GIFT FOR CANADIAN CAREGIVERS STARTING TODAY
It is my privilege to be a ‘Pro’ on Huddol.com, a virtual health and wellness support website for patients and caregivers in Canada. Being a Pro on Huddol is special every day because I get to speak with caregivers, but it has deeper meaning today – National Caregivers Day. That’s
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: FOR ALL WHO HELP WITHOUT BEING ASKED
What we need in these strange days of fear and anxiety is poetry. Poems reassure us we are doing the right thing. That the decisions we make are the right ones. That our best is good enough in the face of so much uncertainty. My friend Diane sent me this poem. She
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