Every caregiver has a story, and every story needs to be told.

I am so excited to share with you that I have been selected to participate on a panel of leading senior care experts to judge the SeniorHomes.com Caregiver Recognition Awards program, co-sponsored by Emeritus Senior Living.  The Caregiver Recognition Awards program aims to recognize the millions of Americans serving as caregivers; be it as a professional caregiver, or as a caregiver to a loved one or friend. Read…

If you are in the Columbus area on June 15, 2011 it would be a pleasure to meet you at my upcoming event: Read…

Cities across America are finally realizing their populations are aging at a rapid rate. Unfortunately, their architecture is designed for the young.

In New York City seniors will soon outnumber school children. New York Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs says, “It’s about changing the way we think about the we’re growing old in our community.”
Read…

I always ask my audiences to shout out the emotions associated with caregiving.  ‘Sad’, ‘overwhelmed’, ‘denial’, and ‘angry’ are typically the first responses.  Mentioned less frequently, but perhaps even more important are ‘resentment’, ‘isolation’, and ‘burdened’. Yet, no matter where in the country I speak, the one emotion that always bubbles to the top of the list is ‘guilt’. Read…

Help a Caregiver You Know

• Offer to help clean and cook, wrap presents, go shopping, pick up the kids.
• If your family is caregiving, suggest a potluck holiday meal or secret Santa gift exchange to save time and money.
• The best gift you could give a caregiver is help. Give them the day off!
• Remember to say “thank you” to a caregiver and let them know they are appreciated!
• If a member of your family is caregiving for a relative this holiday season, send a thank you gift! Read…

Funeral planning is never a picnic, and this is likely why we are so often unprepared when the time comes.  Our failure to plan our own funerals forces our grief-stricken loved one to plan our funerals for us, at a time when they are working to process their own pain. It is no different for our parents.  As a caregiver to your parents, you are in the unique position of working with them to develop such a plan and avoid later pitfalls.  Read…

“This is what you need to do.  Please sign here.”

Too often, caregivers, already reeling from a parent’s recent health crisis, are simply handed written medical instructions, new prescriptions, a car load of medical equipment, and sent on their way.  They are offered no training, no one asks if they are prepared for their new assignment, or how they are doing emotionally.  Read…

Whether you give care to a friend or family member, or receive care from a friend or family member, you know that such care is so valuable, it is truly invaluable.  The world is just beginning to catch up with that understanding.  Read…

Angela Diaz-Burris began caregiving as a young teenager as a volunteer working with kids who had developmental disabilities.  She regularly cared for a little boy with cerebral palsy and was devastated when he passed away under her care.  As a young girl, most of us would have been too traumatized to continue caregiving, and too scared to experience that loss again.  However, Angela was different, and her passion for caregiving gave her strength and allowed her to continue to help people. Read…