Aiding and Abetting Guilty Pleasures
Tomorrow morning, I’ll wake up early to go see my Mom. I am at our lake house for two weeks of holiday with my husband and I feel badly leaving…
Donna Thomson
Who Am I?
Recently, my husband Jim and I visited an old friend – someone I hadn’t seen since 1986. Back then, we lived in Washington, DC where Jim worked at the Canadian…
Guest Post: Applying For Social Security Benefits for Your Loved One and For Yourself
If you provide ongoing care for a disabled individual, then you may need to be the one who applies for benefits on his or her behalf. There are additionally some…
Hanging Out and Having a Laugh
Out in the Hood Photograph by David Alan Harvey The sidewalk outside a liquor store doubles as a front porch for two Harlemites. Rather than sit in stifling apartments, many…
The Lessons I Have Learned in My Life of Caregiving
For some reason, last night our alarm clock rang at 4am. My husband quietly cursed and fumbled to turn it off. We both lay awake after that and quite soon,…
Guest Post: How A Battle With Cancer Made Us Stronger
Cameron Von St. James is a husband, father and caregiver. In this guest post, Cameron shares his family story of caring for his wife Heather through her cancer diagnosis and…
GUEST POST – Diagnosed With Dementia: What to Expect as a Caregiver
In an unexpected, swift life change, you’re suddenly the caregiver for your loved one who’s been diagnosed with dementia. Your life and priorities have changed forever. As your loved one…
From the Moment of Diagnosis – A Book Review of "Designated Caregiver" by Cecelia Salamone
From the Moment of Diagnosis A Book Review of “Designated Caregiver: Resource Manual forthe Caregiver On Call 24/7” by Cecelia Salamone Every caregiver or special needs parent can recall in…
Just Breathing vs A Good Life
Yesterday I tuned in to a podcast about a new model of care in Australia. Initially I thought I might be able to double-task by writing some easy emails while…
Future Planning When Capacity is An Issue: A New Deal
In my last blog post, I wrote about the messy business of overriding bad decisions that vulnerable loved ones sometimes make. The potential for anything from hurt feelings to fisticuffs…
When Patient Choices Are Harmful
Sometimes, my son makes bad choices. So does my mother. Nicholas almost always decides what he wants (and what he doesn’t!) based on short term pleasure (and pain avoidance). This…
Meet My Mother – A Natural-Born Activist
My mother is, well, unique. When I was in kindergarten, I walked to school – alone. All the other children were dropped off by their parents, but my Mom just…
Meet My Mother – A Natural-Born Activist
My mother is, well, unique. When I was in kindergarten, I walked to school – alone. All the other children were dropped off by their parents, but my Mom just…
When A Family’s Love is Not Enough
There are some people who, in the prime of their lives, cannot conceive of getting old. They imagine that only other people have babies with disabling conditions. They champion independence…
Amanda Telford Is A Good Mother
Families of adult children with disabilities in Ontario, Canada, are in the news today. An Ottawa mother, Amanda Telford, ‘abandoned’ her son Phillip (aged 19) in the offices of Ontario…
METTA: Loving Kindness – How to Feel It, How to Spread It
I peer at an x-ray of my spine. I’m looking at my neck bones, trying to figure out why my right arm is constantly numb or tingling… why my hand…
I’m a Professional Caregiver and You’re Not
When I was a teenager, my Dad had a series of strokes. When Mum went into the hospital for minor surgery, a woman in a white uniform arrived in our…
Searching for Roots of Compassion in a Violent World
The world is reeling from the news of a terrible explosion at the Boston marathon. In my morning newspaper today, I read this by Craig and Marc Kielburger, brothers who…