Conversations around caregiving have spread across disciplines and all aspects of life over recent years. Talk about care and the lack thereof have entered encounters up and down the spectrum of our society. In my group work this year I’ve led discussions focused on tone as subject matter in public
When holiday plans begin caregivers find themselves in a bind, caught between hopeful promise of a festive time with loved ones and the continuing needs of care. Will respite for every day caregivers result from the gathering of siblings? Will the visitors find the comfort of family traditions and connections
Pressure on our healthcare infrastructure anticipated in the late twentieth century has now arrived at our doorstep. The shortage of primary care doctors for all age groups is rising and the public-private divide in the delivery of care is widening. The kindly image of hometown Marcus Welby, MD (IMDb1969-1976) who
“Can’t win for losing.” What began as a sports metaphor in the 1920s signifying the inability to win when the stakes were highest, is resonant today in the context of caregiving. (Stack Exchange) Even when you “do everything right,” respond to every need, and rise to address every downturn your
What we humans have over so many other species and what has enabled us to thrive, for good and for evil, is our capacity for imagination. It is the ultimate definer and one that so many have harnessed to their advantage, again for good and for evil, over millennia. Sure,
It’s time for another medical consultation with your loved one. Are you feeling overwhelmed by the task of taking your father out to his medical appointment? Does your mother’s querulous commentary embarrass you in the waiting room? Are you afraid your adult child’s flailing limbs will seem aggressive in the
The aging landscape has changed a lot since Erikson’s stage theory of psychosocial development, and yet some salient truths remain whole. The overall quality of our life from beginning to the present moment will affect how we manage our later years. Identity is built as we grow and change in
Use Relational Systems to Support Caregiving Climbing the ladder, the ladder of success, start on the bottom rung of the ladder, getting a foot on the ladder. There is no end to the popular expressions of success in reaching a goal. It’s a symbol of rising to the challenge to
Writing For Grief’s Sake: The Resilient Caregiver Caring and Coping Well came about out of my own desire to better understand my aging parents and the role I found myself in as their adult child. Hyper-focused though I was on raising my young child, due to the geographical distance between
Your confidence as a caregiver will develop over time. In fact, your caregiving skills begin early in life — you’re actually a care partner before you’re ever a caregiver. From birth you received care and in time, as you formed relationships, you gave care. You’re even capable of caring about
