–> I am very excited to host this guest post about managing post-acute care in our loved ones. In my family, we’ve had to learn about options the hard way. This is a great roundup of information to make decision-making about post-hospital supports a whole lot easier – DonnaPost-Acute Care
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THE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: WHEN OUR LOVED ONE GETS BETTER AND WE GET WORSE
This week, an online article caught my eye. It was a report on research into patients with heart disease who had undergone surgery to implant called a Ventricular Assist Device, or LVAD. Turns out that a few weeks after surgery, the patients felt much better, but their caregivers felt worse.
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY – A DAY TO CELEBRATE CARING!
March 8 is International Women’s Day and this year, I would like to celebrate the women in our families who nurture us, love us, feed us, drive us, shop for us, and rescue us from mishaps every day of our lives. What if 3 Wise Men were Women? What would
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: CAREGIVERS NEVER GET SICK, RIGHT?
Once, I came down with viral meningitis. Natalie was a toddler and Nicholas was four or five. At that time, an older teenager called Cali lived with us to help me with nursing and childcare at home. She and I worked hard to keep my two children safe and healthy
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: TOOLS FOR EVERYDAY SENIOR SAFETY
I always keep my eyes and ears open for news about devices that ease our burden of care while ensuring our loved ones are safe from harm. Today it’s my pleasure to host this guest post by Sarah Jackson on just that topic! As more people live longer and remain
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: ALL THE TIMES THAT PROFESSIONALS HAVE BEEN KIND – TISSUE ALERT!
A couple of years ago I met an amazing doctor. I was speaking at the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine conference in Fort Lauderdale and after my remarks, a gentle but insistent man approached me saying, “Hello, my name is Jim Plews-Ogan. I’m a pediatrician specializing in
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: THE MAKING OF A CAREGIVER
In this recipe, the essence of the caregiver is kept aside, similar to the starter in sour dough bread. This ‘starter’ will be needed to make and re-make the caregiver into different shapes and sizes as needs for her or him arise. Recipe for Making A Caregiver Start with a
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Our Role in The Circle of Life: What’s Your Title?
Over the holidays this year, I’ve been thinking a lot about birth, mortality and all that’s in between. I guess you’d say, I’ve been pondering the circle of life and my role in it. A week before Christmas, the wife of a lifelong friend gave birth to a perfectly beautiful
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: THE 12 DAYS OF A CAREGIVER CHRISTMAS
My words to the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” are fun, but they reveal a truth about caregiving, too. We all begin with a task or two. “Oh, it’s not much”, we think. “That’s no trouble at all.” And it isn’t. But then two tasks becomes four and four
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: TREVOR’S STORY: FROM ADDICTION TO CAREGIVER
If you told me a decade ago that I’d be responsible for someone else’s life, I’d probably have laughed. Back then, I was barely able to take care of myself. I was a drug addict. Today, I’ve been sober for nearly a decade, and I have a new lease on
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: DIANE’S STORY
I am so pleased to share a personal caregiver story from Diane today. Diane’s husband Bob had a devastating stroke and sadly passed away in 2015. Diane shares her wisdom with us today. I’m grateful for stories of stroke caregiving because my Dad had three strokes and after living for
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: HELP FOR ALZHEIMER’S CAREGIVERS
I am pleased to host this guest post by Lydia Chan, whose Mom suffers from Alzheimer’s. Lydia writes for Alzheimerscaregiver.net. The data is in, and there’s no doubt that Alzheimer’s caregivers are exhausted. The University of Michigan and AARP recently teamed up to survey the people who are providing full time care to
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: TV Stars are Caregivers Too – Meet Leeza Gibbons
November is National Caregivers Month and to kick off, I’ve interviewed TV personality and caregiver activist, Leeza Gibbons. Leeza Gibbons is an Emmy Award winner TV personality who has become an important voice for family caregivers. Recognized as a social entrepreneur, Leeza has become one of the leading voices for
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: A NEW SHORT FILM ABOUT DEMENTIA – SNEAK PEAK!
I always get excited when I hear about a new film about caregiving concerns. Today, I’d like to suggest that we all mark our calendars on November 6 with a reminder to watch the release of J. Costello, a touching eight-minute film about a charming man falling into the wilderness
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Advice You’ve Never Thought Of! Tips for Travelling with an Older Parent
My Mom grew up summering in Kennebunk Port in Maine – all her best memories are of playing in the sand and surf with her brothers and sister there. Now at 95, she has a powerful wish to return, but I am nervous about travelling with her. This guest post
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: I CAN’T EXPLAIN WHAT’S WRONG DOC, BUT HERE, LOOK AT MY PHONE
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 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: 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: “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
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