A friend in his mid-50s cared for his wife for over 10 years before she died from complications related to her chronic and often unpredictable disease. He juggled being a business owner, a husband and a caregiver. After the initial shock and grief of losing his wife, he found himself wondering what his life was […]
Moving to Complex Care
Making the decision to move a spouse or aging parent into long-term care is one of the most difficult decisions families make. Guilt, resentment, confusion and relief are just some of the emotions caregivers experience. Many families tend to underestimate how difficult the transition can be and often find themselves practically and emotionally unprepared.
The Value of Peer Support
By Wendy Johnstone “New to the caregiver support group, I was so nervous and skeptical about attending. My doctor suggested I give it a try. They were all strangers to me; I wasn’t sure if I wanted to open up about my wife’s disease. As I walked to my car after the meeting, I felt […]
Living With Chronic Pain
By Wendy Johnstone Chronic pain can be overwhelming. Chronic pain is different for everyone and finding out what works to help manage it might take some trial and error. Caring for someone else while in pain adds an extra layer of complexity. Sarah, 55, lives with fibromyalgia and is a caregiver to her spouse who […]
Balancing Work and Caregiving
You have a looming deadline at work and your mother is calling because your father has fallen yet again. You are notified by your mother’s housing provider to find immediate overnight care due to your mother’s dementia and wandering at night. When you arrive late for work after taking your dad to his medical appointment, […]
My Caregiving Journey
By Katherine Arnup, PhD Before my sister got sick, I had never really thought of myself as a caregiver. Of course, like almost every girl growing up in the 1950s, I had a menagerie of dolls and stuffed animals I took care of, doling out medicine, taking their temperatures, and giving needles with the tools […]
Caregiving: Unexpected Changes
My Dad is 95 years old and honestly, some days I can’t believe he is still alive. I’m his only daughter and caregiver. I’ve been looking after him for 4 years now. In those years, we’ve had pneumonia, a broken hip and a stroke. What I’ve really learned is there are always unexpected challenges. I […]
The 4P system for making difficult family caregiving decisions
Sometimes caregiving becomes a family affair, especially when difficult decisions regarding care and the care recipient’s future needs are concerned. When I was 34-years-old, my dad had a massive stroke. It was a very challenging and emotional time for our family.
Not another article on gratitude!
With Thanksgiving upon us, it seems rather predictable that our blog should be about gratitude. Perhaps you’re feeling a bit cynical or shaking your head, thinking to yourself, “Here we go again, another article telling me to be grateful for all that I have or for simple pleasures. They have no idea what’s its like to […]
Taking Mom Home
Featured this month in Inspired Senior Living, this is the story of a family honouring their mother by finding a creative way to to support the people they are caring for with alternate housing arrangements and the outdoors. Read it here.