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 readingTag: caregiving
THE 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: 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: 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: 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: 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
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Drawing Personal Boundaries in Caregiving
There’s a ton of messaging out there for caregivers that sounds like this: Make time for yourself! Plan respite! When it’s all too much, just say no! Doesn’t it all sound so easy? And if we feel exhausted and happen to mention that to friends or family, those messages echo
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Drawing Personal Boundaries in Caregiving
There’s a ton of messaging out there for caregivers that sounds like this: Make time for yourself! Plan respite! When it’s all too much, just say no! Doesn’t it all sound so easy? And if we feel exhausted and happen to mention that to friends or family, those messages echo
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Happy Intl. Women’s Day All You Caregivers Out There!
Caregiving isn’t only women’s work, but it’s largely women’s work. So today, March 8th 2017, I wish you all a very happy Intl. Women’s Day. My message to you is: I SEE YOU. I FEEL YOUR WORRY AND YOUR FATIGUE. TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER, SO LET’S SPEAK UP ABOUT OUR
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Happy Intl. Women’s Day All You Caregivers Out There!
Caregiving isn’t only women’s work, but it’s largely women’s work. So today, March 8th 2017, I wish you all a very happy Intl. Women’s Day. My message to you is: I SEE YOU. I FEEL YOUR WORRY AND YOUR FATIGUE. TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER, SO LET’S SPEAK UP ABOUT OUR
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: WINTER CAREGIVER ACHES AND PAINS
I live where the temperature can sometimes dip down to sub-zero numbers. Snow and slush make pushing our son in his wheelchair difficult and my Mom needs support to navigate icy pavement with her walker. Winter is hard on caregivers, that’s for sure. If your back is aching these days,
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: WINTER CAREGIVER ACHES AND PAINS
I live where the temperature can sometimes dip down to sub-zero numbers. Snow and slush make pushing our son in his wheelchair difficult and my Mom needs support to navigate icy pavement with her walker. Winter is hard on caregivers, that’s for sure. If your back is aching these days,
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: CAREGIVER’S FRIEND: Menu and Recipes
I love food and I love to cook. When caregiving at home gets crazy busy though, my favorite recipes are just too time consuming to prepare. That’s when I go to my ‘under 5 minutes preparation time but delicious’ collection. Here’s a sample menu that’s very quick to make and
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: CAREGIVER’S FRIEND: Menu and Recipes
I love food and I love to cook. When caregiving at home gets crazy busy though, my favorite recipes are just too time consuming to prepare. That’s when I go to my ‘under 5 minutes preparation time but delicious’ collection. Here’s a sample menu that’s very quick to make and
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: The Caregiver’s Christmas Carol
On the First Day of Christmas on my list of things to do: I cooked dinner for my fa-mi-ly. On the Second Day of Christmas on my list of things to do: I shopped for my Mom and cooked dinner for my fa-mi-ly. On the Third Day of Christmas on
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: The Caregiver’s Christmas Carol
On the First Day of Christmas on my list of things to do: I cooked dinner for my fa-mi-ly. On the Second Day of Christmas on my list of things to do: I shopped for my Mom and cooked dinner for my fa-mi-ly. On the Third Day of Christmas on
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Remembering My Father Today
Today is Remembrance Day in Canada, Veteran’s Day in the United States. Today I remember my father, James Edward Thomson, who fought in Europe with the Royal Montreal Regiment and won an award for bravery from King George and was mentioned in dispatches. Near Antwerp, my Dad was off-duty and
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: National Caregivers Month: The Third Pillar is Patience
Patience. We learn it the hard way in caregiving. In this break-neck-speed society, caregivers are like student drivers, always trying to put our foot on the gas, but with ‘fate’, the driving instructor, firmly putting his foot on the metaphorical brake. Caring for young children, an elderly parent, a loved
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Wisdom Comes From Living
Last week, I spoke about the resilience of caregivers. This week, I’d like to say a few words about wisdom. What exactly is the wisdom of caregivers? The Oxford Dictionary defines wisdom as the quality of having knowledge, experience and good judgement. Let’s start with knowledge. What do caregivers know? Well, we know
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