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
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THE 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
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: CAREGIFTED: Respite, Poetry and Other Gifts for the Caregiver Soul
Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of corresponding with a great champion of caregivers, the award-winning poet and founder of CareGifted, Heather McHugh. Heather won a McArthur Fellowship and decided to create a charity that would fund respite holidays for caregivers. If you need a break, have a look at CareGifted’s
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Are Bad Habits Your Way of Getting Respite?
Yesterday I was listening to an artist on the radio. I was in the car and I was travelling only a short distance, so I don’t even know who this artist is or what they produced, but I was captured by this, “I wanted to explore grief and how we eit…
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Six Ways Communities Can Help Caregivers
Local communities are great places to look for help and support for your caregiving family. It’s worth doing a search of your neighborhood – you’re likely to find community assets that may be life savers for you and your loved one. Start by identifying the schools, churches, community centres, shopping
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Preparing to Care From Afar During Spring Break Holiday
There may be parents of children with disabilities who travel as a family during spring break, but I’ll leave that subject for another post. Today, I would like to talk about making preparations to care from afar when you leave on holiday and your loved one does not travel with
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