Posted in Uncategorized on January 31, 2008 | 1 Comment »
This week, Oprah ran a clip of a home health care person slapping and beating an elderly man. It was painful to watch. It was caught on a “granny cam.” The man’s daughter suspected abuse, and unfortunately got her answer.
It’s heartbreaking, especially if our loved ones can’t speak for themselves. Many illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s, [...]
Posted in Alzheimer's, aging, book reviews, books, bookstores, boomer women, career, caregiver, caregiver stress, caregiving, daughters, dementia, depression, elder rage, eldercare, elderly, emotional, financial, guilt, health, healthcare, hospital, humor, inspirational, medicine, memoir, mothering, mothers, moving, nerves, parents, perfection, relationships, senior care, seniors, speaking, spiritual, women, writing on January 30, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Caregiver guilt is debilitating. You know that the word, “guilt” isn’t a healthy word, but many caregivers feel overwhelmed with a sense of I should, I wish I had, why can’t I just…
I certainly experienced my fair share of caregiver guilt.
The irony is the more you do, the guiltier you feel. Trust me, the family [...]
Posted in Alzheimer's, aging, amazon, books, bookstores, boomer women, caregiver, caregiver stress, caregiving, cortisol, daughters, dementia, depression, diabetes, diet, elderly, emotional, family, health, healthcare, heart disease, humor, inspirational, memoir, mothering, mothers, parents, relationships, senior care, seniors, teenagers, weight gain, women on January 29, 2008 | 4 Comments »
Ever heard of the freshman 15?
That’s where kids heading off to college gain 15 pounds because they’re eating pizza, drinking beer, and stressed out?
Well, I’m here to tell ya there’s a Caregiver’s 30!
I gained over 30 pounds in the almost three years I cared for my mom full time. You would think lifting and helping [...]
Posted in Alzheimer's, aging, amazon, book club, books, bookstores, boomer women, caregiver, caregiver stress, caregiving, cats, dementia, depression, dogs, eldercare, elderly, emotional, family, florida, health, humor, jacksonville, memoir, mothering, mothers, pets, puppies, relationships, science, seniors, walking, writing on January 28, 2008 | 2 Comments »
There was a time when I was caring for my mom (who lived with my family and me–she had Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s) when I felt as if I were living in a tomb. It was so depressing to wake up every day to the same old routine–pills, dressing her, bathing her, listening to her negativity, [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on January 25, 2008 | 1 Comment »
You’re home all day. Or you work all day, take care of your loved one all night.
Not exactly conducive to making friends.
Friendships enrich our lives. They give us someone to confide in, complain to, make plans with. People who have friends are healthier. They know how to give—and receive love.
But most caregivers [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on January 24, 2008 | No Comments »
Two things should not go together–SAD and Caregiving.
Why? Let’s just say, neither are good for your skin.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is also called: SAD, Seasonal depression, or Seasonal mood disorder (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
seasonalaffectivedisorder.html)
The National Institute of Mental Health says,
“Some people experience a serious mood change when the seasons change. They may sleep too much, have little energy, and [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on January 22, 2008 | No Comments »
Some people are–the caregiving type. Nurturers. You know who you are. You set up a doll hospital for all your friends dolls when you were little, you were the designated driver in college, you feed feral cats and you’re the neighborhood welcome wagon greeter.
People say you’re nice. Sweet. Giving….(sucka)
That’s right. I’m calling you a sucka.
Everybody else gets [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on January 19, 2008 | 3 Comments »
Remember that Lionel Richie song, “All Night Long?”
Well, sundown syndrome isn’t the same thing Lionel was singing about–but it may be what many Alzheimer’s folk are doing–
Sundown Syndrome is also called sundowning or sunsetting–is a behavior common in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
In a less drastic form, aging folk simply don’t need to sleep as much as their young counterparts–or [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on January 18, 2008 | 1 Comment »
There’s one kind of Parkinson’s you might be familiar with–Parkinson’s Disease. You might be more familiar with it than you care to be–you or your loved one might struggle with this condition.
Here’s a general definition of the disease:
Parkinson’s disease (also known as Parkinson disease or PD) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that often impairs [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on January 18, 2008 | 7 Comments »
Now, where was I?
Do those words sound familiar?
1. Do you walk in a room and can’t for the life of you remember why you’re there?
2. Have you walked into a grocery store and just didn’t have the energy to shop–and just left?
3. Have you sat a red light and not realized it turned green?
4. Have [...]
