Natasha Reece has been acting as a caregiver for her grandfather, Jerry Whelan, who has frontotemporal dementia, since November 2020 after his wife, Alma, was admitted to the hospital with COVID-19. The family looked into hiring outside help, but the costs were quite high. It … [Read more...] about Granddaughter finds ways to engage her loved ones and manage her own stress.
Caregiver Solutions
When Disappointment Rains Down
How to live victoriously anyway.It has been said that every person’s life is a diary in which he or she means to write one story, and is forced to write another. That is, we plan for one way; we are forced to travel another. But what shall we say of those crushing … [Read more...] about When Disappointment Rains Down
Living together, but making time for self-care
There can be positives and negatives for family caregivers who maintain their own separate living spaces. While it is a totally separate space to get away to, it can also mean more time spent on the road driving to see and care for the loved one, including late nights or early … [Read more...] about Living together, but making time for self-care
Learning to Grieve
My first act as a mother was to hold my newborn. The intense power of that moment solidified my emotional connection to my son. Then when I visited my grandmother in the hospital, my initial instinct was to take her hand in mine like I’d done countless times as a little girl. The … [Read more...] about Learning to Grieve
Hiring a Caregiver: Family Dynamics, Communication, and Caregiving
A family’s dynamics will be at play when and if a loved one develops a need that requires caregiving. As a primary caregiver to her husband for 25 years, a team caregiver to her mother and sister, and a caregiver support group facilitator, Joy Walters has both experienced and … [Read more...] about Hiring a Caregiver: Family Dynamics, Communication, and Caregiving