PTSD in Caregiving – When Little Things Feel Life-Threatening
One day when I was 17, I happened to be home alone with my father. As a result of three strokes a year earlier, Dad was paralysed on his right…
The Caregivers' Living Room
When My Heart Gently Whispered…. It’s Time to Let Go
It is my pleasure to host this guest post from caregiver and writer, Ruth Berzins. This blog post is part of a series on grief published on the Madiha Foundation…
WHEN IN DOUBT, DANCE IT OUT! Evan Kharrazi’s Approach to Caring
Evan Kharrazi is a caregiver, a dancer, a wellness coach and an entrepreneur. Evan took his personal experience and built ChillTime TV – an app for caregivers seeking to embed…
BELONGING WHILE CAREGIVING: WHERE DO WE BELONG?
Photo by Geoffroy Hauwen on Unsplash In the trenches of caregiving, we can feel very, very alone. We may never experience a sense of belonging except in that tiny world…
SHIFTING FROM "YOU" TO "US" IN CAREGIVING
There might be a good reason that nurses ask patients, “How are WE doing today?” The caregiving relationship is one that consists of two people who are ‘in it’ together.…
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT CARING FROM YOUR MOM?
Mother’s Day 2021 got me wondering how we learn to be good caregivers – what lessons about caring did we learn from our own mothers? I asked friends and colleagues…
LET’S TALK ORAL HEALTH AND DEMENTIA – HOW TO GET THOSE TEETH CLEAN?
I remember helping my Mom brush her teeth – sometimes she was “too tired” or just not interested in doing her own personal care. Today it’s my pleasure to host…
AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR ONLY 20 CAREGIVERS
I think it was two years ago when a few of us got the idea of creating a retreat for caregivers. Not just any retreat, but one that could help…
If You Thought Crip Camp Was Thrilling, You Will Love This Book
I admit it, I’ve been feeling discouraged recently. I’ve been advocating hard for people with disabilities to be prioritized for COVID19 vaccines in Canada, but still haven’t had success protecting…
RINGS OF A PLANET: Caregiving in a Natural Disaster
Last year, my friend and colleague Vickie Cammack and I co-wrote a piece about caregivers as first responders in natural disasters. We wrote: “Canada’s ability to successfully respond to the…
Happy International Women’s Day, Caregivers
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…
THE COSTS OF CARING AND THE ERASURE OF ITS EXISTENCE
Last week I happened to read a fascinating article by Jordan Kisner in the New York Times Magazine about 78 year old feminist and scholar, Silvia Federici. I kept thinking…
Ntl Caregivers Day: The Power of Words
February 19th is National Caregivers Day in the USA. For the occasion, I began to think about words that hold power when we say them and words that hold power…
Illness Experiences + Emotions = Treatment Choices
Me with my Dad One day when I was 17, I was home alone with my Dad. I was lying on my bed reading and Dad was in his living…
THE MUSIC BETWEEN US: Memoir of a Bedside Musician
I am always fascinated by stories of personal transformation. How does anyone achieve redemption, wisdom, grace and meaning after experiencing or witnessing prolonged suffering? I’m especially interested when those stories…
DISABILITY PLANNING FOR MY CHILD: HOW TO BEGIN NOW
I talk to lots of different people who have a role in supporting families of children with disabilities. This week, I had an interesting chat with Bruce Maier, a financial…
My Breakup Letter to 2020
Dear 2020, I’m breaking up with you. I can’t live with you anymore and I’m done trying. In fact I never want to hear from you or see you ever…
BEING MERRY IN A COVID CHRISTMAS
This year is so tiring – everyone I know feels exhausted and …. spent. On the other hand, many of those same people have put a lot of energy into…
Our 2020 Intl Day of People With Disabilities Agenda: No More Poverty!
The disability community in Canada has a long history of being fractured. Disability groups have traditionally competed for scarce resources – that’s just the way things were. Jockeying for limited…