Caregiving is Messy – So is Life

Caregiving sneaks up on you. One minute you’re just helping a parent, spouse, or grandparent — and who doesn’t do that? It’s our nature to help when we can. Women especially are prone to believe they must do everything that’s asked of them, but men also struggle with...

Three Sad Words

  Usually, my “caregiving” blogs relate to caring for an ill or demented loved one. However, two recent experiences made me realize we are all hurting more than usual. The constant drumbeat of wars and their victims, of a paralyzed and hostile Congress, of a...

Why It’s So Hard being a Caregiver

When my friend, Debra Kostiw, Certified Master Dementia Strategist, asked me to join her in role playing for her educational series on dementia, I thought it would be one of those fun bucket list things. Since then, playing the part of a person suffering from dementia...

Thank you, Rosalynn Carter

Presidents and First Ladies come and go. After their terms of office, some retire quietly while others engage in projects near to their hearts. But I don’t think any ex-presidential duo did more for the average American than Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. Between Habitat...

The Promise

  Covenants. We make them all the time. From pinky swears to wedding vows, we earnestly commit ourselves to do, or not do, certain things. Many caregivers make THE PROMISE. “I promise I will never put you in a nursing home.” Cultural Factors Thousands of...

What the heck is CDPAP?

You were barely making ends meet when your grandmother had a stroke. Nana was the pillar of the family, always there loving and supporting, no matter the circumstances. Now she needs some help caring for herself. And she loves her home, where three generations...