A Guest Post From a Tired Caregiver With a short break for sleep, my teenaged daughter Lily has screamed, shouted, ranted and thrown household objects for 18 hours straight. She follows me outside and from room to room inside. If I lock a door, she pounds on it and shouts.
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THE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: You Have to Read This – A Beautiful Fable for Caregivers
About a year ago, I opened an email message from someone I’d never met called Diane S. who wrote to tell me that this blog was meaningful to her. It was a beautiful letter – one that I still treasure. She told me, “We are parents of a 26 year
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: When a Real Grade 6 Class Moves Into A Nursing Home
I’ve blogged before about the Eden Alternative approach to eldercare. I’ve blogged before about the benefits of benefits of bringing children into long-term care homes. But I’ve never blogged about an elementary class of students moving into an Eden Alternative seniors’ home! This morning I hopped in the car with
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: A Personal Conversation About Caring with Mark Stolow of HUDDOL
Yesterday I had the pleasure and privilege of chatting with my friend and colleague in caregiving, Mark Stolow. Mark is the founder of HUDDOL.COM, a terrific resource for caregivers everywhere.I really encourage you to join me and Mark there to continue to conversation! Have a listen and let me know
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: THE CAREGIVING CHALLENGE THAT NO ONE TALKS ABOUT
There’s a huge upheaval that many caregivers experience but hardly never talk about. It’s when caregivers leave their own families in order to move in with aging parents. Or, they move parents into the family home. Often, these decisions to move are made quickly as the result of some crisis or
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: The Importance & Complexity of Compassionate Caregiving
It is my pleasure to host this guest post from author Christian Worstell on the subject of compassionate caregiving. Can compassion in caring be taught and learned? Or, is it a talent that is either in us, or not? Read on. Photo Credit: Pexels What do you think of when
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: THE LATEST CHANGES IN MEDICARE FOR RESPITE CARE
I am delighted to host this very informative guest post by guest expert, Danielle K. Roberts about recent changes to respite benefits in US Medicare. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, there are nearly 35 million caregivers caring for a loved one who is over the age of 50 in the
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: FAMILY IS ESSENTIAL IN HEALTH CARE – LET’S START SAYING THAT
Imagine a newborn baby in a hospital emergency room. Or a loved one who is elderly, frail and in pain. ERs are very unsafe places for vulnerable patients. The frail elderly, the very young and all the very sick people in between need the support and protection of a family
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: LET’S TALK: THE UNEXPECTED JOURNEY OF CARING
Hi Everyone Here in the Caregivers’ Living Room!Zachary White and I have been very busy recently promoting our new book, The Unexpected Journey of Caring: The Transformation From Loved One to Caregiver. After a couple of years working hard on writing, we are laying the ground for a meaningful conversation
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: A Wonderful Father – It’s About Love and Security
This is my father, James “Babe” Thomson. I miss him so much – he passed away after a series of strokes in 1975. From my Dad, I learned to feel secure. I learned kindness and the benefits of a quiet mind. I learned how to control my temper and how
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: 4 TIPS FOR GETTING BETTER SLEEP DURING TIMES OF GRIEF
Grief is part of the caregiving experience and when a loved one passes away, unbearable sadness and loneliness can overwhelm. Today, I am happy to host this guest post by writer and widow, Sara Bailey who offers some strategies to help you sleep if you are grieving. If you are
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: A BURDEN AND A JOY
A BURDEN AND A JOY: AUTHOR DONNA THOMSON UNPACKS THE DUALITY OF CAREGIVING FOR SICK FAMILY I gave this interview about some of the ideas in our new book to Zosia Bielski (thank you, Zosia!) of the Globe and Mail newspaper and it was published June 4th. Caring for sick
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: WHICH HAT AM I WEARING?
Every day, I learn something new from another caregiver. Today, I was reading a conversation in a support group for spousal caregivers. “How can I cope with the resentment and frustration that comes from being so tired all the time?” someone asked. Another caregiver replied: “We wear different hats as
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: My Most Prized Possession
This morning I received this beautiful testament of care from a devoted daughter, Jasmin Jeevanjee. I am delighted to share her story and how her ‘Most Prized Possession’ came to be. Thank you, Jasmin! I was born and grew up in Nairobi. After completing my secondary education, I went to
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Holding Hands in the Dark
When my sister and I were young, we used to play constantly with the children of our next-door neighbours at the cottage. Once every summer, we’d be allowed to sleep outside together in a tent by the lake. The night I remember most vividly was when I was ten and
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: THE TIME HAS COME FOR A SPECIAL OFFER
Dr. Zachary White and I both received our author’s boxes of books last week (so exciting!). That means it’s time to order THE UNEXPECTED JOURNEY OF CARING: The Transformation From Loved One to Caregiver. If you buy a copy and send me an image of your receipt (email me at
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Motherhood
Tomorrow will be my first Mother’s Day without my Mom. I’ll probably wake up in the morning and think, “Oh, I must call Mom and ask if she liked her flowers! I must tell her that I’m coming over later.” And then, I’ll remember. I know this will happen because
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Natural Caring: A New Way to Think About What We Do Best Everyday
Today I listened in to a podcast called “Caring Counts: A Celebration of Natural Caring” featuring Canadian social innovators, Paul Born, Al Etmanski and Vickie Cammack. Vickie and Al are champions of natural caring, which they define this way: Natural caring is love in action. It is freely given. It involves
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: FREE TOOLS FOR SHARING HEALTH INFO WITH YOUR DOCTOR
This is the best appointment information form for patient and caregiver visits to the doctor that I have ever seen! You can view and print it HERE. The folks at CognisantMD partnered with patients and caregivers to develop their suite of FREE tools for health care engagement. Browse HERE – these are
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: THE ESSENTIAL TRUTHS OF CAREGIVING – THE LIVING LIST
The other day, my caregiver best-friend-forever Rose and I were chatting online about the essential truths of caregiving. Rose has been a caregiver for 47 (yes, 47) years. I have been caring for the past 30 years. This is our list of essential truths. BUT this is a LIVING list and
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