Artists as Designers of Dying and Funerals
I’ve been thinking about death and dying a lot lately. Maybe that’s because I watched all of the Queen’s funeral or maybe it’s because I read about the actor Alan…
The Caregivers' Living Room
The Perfect Fake Independence
The other day I was browsing facebook posts in an online caregiver support group when I read, "My mother was living the perfect life of fake independence when she fell…
The Perfect Fake Independence
The other day I was browsing facebook posts in an online caregiver support group when I read, “My mother was living the perfect life of fake independence when she fell…
Wish a Caregiver Happy Labour Day!
The feminist scholar Arlene Kaplan Daniels coined the phrase "invisible work" to describe the many tasks that women have traditionally performed in their families and communities. Picking apart our common…
Wish a Caregiver Happy Labour Day!
The feminist scholar Arlene Kaplan Daniels coined the phrase “invisible work” to describe the many tasks that women have traditionally performed in their families and communities. Picking apart our common…
COMMUNICATING WITH LOVE – How to Relax and Chat With Someone with Memory Loss
If you care for someone with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or dementia, you have probably seen this image on social media: I’ve posted it on my Facebook page, The Caregivers’…
Lessons for Caregivers in a New Book, The Power of Teamwork
Today I finished reading The Power of Teamwork: How We Can All Work Better Together by Dr. Brian Goldman and I had to share my excitement about it right away.…
All My News: A Personal Update
It’s Sunday morning and the thrum of rain on our metal roof is lulling me into a thoughtful mood. It’s a good day for writing. So I thought I would…
THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW – AT HOME
For 23 years, we ran a “home ICU” for our son Nicholas. Nick was born with severe cerebral palsy and he is very medically complex. Moving from crisis to crisis…
National Caregiver Day in Canada: All the News!
The first Tuesday in April is National Caregiver Day in Canada and this year, there is lots of news to share! Although it doesn’t formally launch till May, activities at…
FOR NATIONAL CAREGIVER DAY: ALL THE GOOD THINGS
Today, February 18, is National Caregiver Day in Canada and it seems like a great time to tell you about all the great opportunities for caregivers that are new and…
Two Cups of Tea and Slivers of Time
The other day I recorded a short video for the (free!) online Caregiving Essentials course that I facilitate at McMaster University Department of Continuing Education. I was talking about self-care.…
The Tiniest New Year’s Resolution
It’s the new year – a time for hope and resolutions. But it’s also 2022 and we’re in the midst of a new surge in the pandemic. The usual template…
THE TWELVE DAYS OF A CAREGIVER CHRISTMAS
This is a reprise of a Christmas post from 2017. Hasn’t the world changed since then?! Then again, time moves more slowly in caregiving. Merry Christmas, everyone! And may we…
ADVOCACY BIG AND LITTLE: You Can’t Do Caregiving Without It
I have the pleasure of facilitating a free online course called Caregiving Essentials, offered through McMaster University Continuing Education. A companion project is a free monthly webinar series, also called…
CircleOf – The Newest Online Caregiver’s Best Friend
If you are a regular reader here in the Caregivers’ Living Room, you will know that I love online tools that help family caregivers ease the burden of care by…
When Caregiving Calls – A New Guide for Care
Today it is my pleasure to introduce the very wise caregiving expert and author, Dr. Aaron Blight. I can’t remember exactly where or when I first met Aaron online, but…
Help! I’m a Caregiver and I Need Therapy!
About forty years ago, I had what we called then, a “nervous breakdown”. My life unravelled as I sunk further and further into a deep clinical depression. Back then, I…
TWO NEW FREE COURSES – ONLINE AND JUST FOR CAREGIVERS
When our son Nicholas was two, he had an operation to insert a feeding tube in his tummy. It was a tough decision made a little easier by the fact…
Nursing Home Abuse During Times of COVID-19
Photo: NPR COVID-19 has taken a terrible toll on Canadian long term care residents. Over 50% of