18 HOURS
A Guest Post From a Tired Caregiver With a short break for sleep, my teenaged daughter Lily has screamed, shouted, ranted and thrown household objects for 18 hours straight. She…
The Caregivers' Living Room
You Have to Read This – A Beautiful Fable for Caregivers
About a year ago, I opened an email message from someone I’d never met called Diane S. who wrote to tell me that this blog was meaningful to her. It…
When a Real Grade 6 Class Moves Into A Nursing Home
I’ve blogged before about the Eden Alternative approach to eldercare. I’ve blogged before about the benefits of benefits of bringing children into long-term care homes. But I’ve never blogged about…
A Personal Conversation About Caring with Mark Stolow of HUDDOL
Yesterday I had the pleasure and privilege of chatting with my friend and colleague in caregiving, Mark Stolow. Mark is the founder of HUDDOL.COM, a terrific resource for caregivers everywhere.I…
THE CAREGIVING CHALLENGE THAT NO ONE TALKS ABOUT
There’s a huge upheaval that many caregivers experience but hardly never talk about. It’s when caregivers leave their own families in order to move in with aging parents. Or, they…
THE LATEST CHANGES IN MEDICARE FOR RESPITE CARE
I am delighted to host this very informative guest post by guest expert, Danielle K. Roberts about recent changes to respite benefits in US Medicare. According to the National Alliance…
FAMILY IS ESSENTIAL IN HEALTH CARE – LET’S START SAYING THAT
Imagine a newborn baby in a hospital emergency room. Or a loved one who is elderly, frail and in pain. ERs are very unsafe places for vulnerable patients. The frail…
LET’S TALK: THE UNEXPECTED JOURNEY OF CARING
Hi Everyone Here in the Caregivers’ Living Room!Zachary White and I have been very busy recently promoting our new book, The Unexpected Journey of Caring: The Transformation From Loved One…
A Wonderful Father – It’s About Love and Security
This is my father, James “Babe” Thomson. I miss him so much – he passed away after a series of strokes in 1975. From my Dad, I learned to feel…
4 TIPS FOR GETTING BETTER SLEEP DURING TIMES OF GRIEF
Grief is part of the caregiving experience and when a loved one passes away, unbearable sadness and loneliness can overwhelm. Today, I am happy to host this guest post by…
A BURDEN AND A JOY
A BURDEN AND A JOY: AUTHOR DONNA THOMSON UNPACKS THE DUALITY OF CAREGIVING FOR SICK FAMILY I gave this interview about some of the ideas in our new book to…
WHICH HAT AM I WEARING?
Every day, I learn something new from another caregiver. Today, I was reading a conversation in a support group for spousal caregivers. “How can I cope with the resentment and…
My Most Prized Possession
This morning I received this beautiful testament of care from a devoted daughter, Jasmin Jeevanjee. I am delighted to share her story and how her ‘Most Prized Possession’ came to…
Holding Hands in the Dark
When my sister and I were young, we used to play constantly with the children of our next-door neighbours at the cottage. Once every summer, we’d be allowed to sleep…
THE TIME HAS COME FOR A SPECIAL OFFER
Dr. Zachary White and I both received our author’s boxes of books last week (so exciting!). That means it’s time to order THE UNEXPECTED JOURNEY OF CARING: The Transformation From…
Motherhood
Tomorrow will be my first Mother’s Day without my Mom. I’ll probably wake up in the morning and think, “Oh, I must call Mom and ask if she liked her…
Natural Caring: A New Way to Think About What We Do Best Everyday
Today I listened in to a podcast called “Caring Counts: A Celebration of Natural Caring” featuring Canadian social innovators, Paul Born, Al Etmanski and Vickie Cammack. Vickie and Al are…
FREE TOOLS FOR SHARING HEALTH INFO WITH YOUR DOCTOR
This is the best appointment information form for patient and caregiver visits to the doctor that I have ever seen! You can view and print it HERE. The folks at…