EDITOR'S PEN

Gary Barg, Editor-in-Chief
 

20 Years Before

20 years ago today, I spent a cold and frightening night in the emergency waiting room of a local hospital after my grandmother’s sudden seizure. The next morning, once she was stabilized and checked into a room, I sat alone in a Miami Beach restaurant, still frightened. 

I had recently become what I call a caregiver’s caregiver, returning home that summer to help my mom care for my grandparents after she had spent the previous few years as my dad’s primary caregiver. Health-wise, the century was not ending too well for my family members. In fact, the months previous to this night had been an unrelenting rush of hospital emergency room, assisted living facility and doctor’s office visit ...more 

IN THIS ISSUE

20 Years Before
 

Lessons Learned as a Multiple Myeloma Caregiver
 

Long Distance Caring During the Holidays
 

Top 10 Home Safety Tips for Caregivers
 

CareVerses

SPONSORED ARTICLE

Lessons Learned as a Multiple Myeloma Caregiver

By Wally K.

A little over six years ago, my life changed forever when my wife was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, and I became her primary caregiver for the foreseeable future. As November is National Family Caregivers’ Month, it is time to reflect back to those early days and share with you what I have learned since the beginning of my caregiving journey ...more

GUEST ARTICLE

Long Distance Caring During the Holidays

By Emily Carton

It is not uncommon for families to be separated by great distances during the holidays. But what happens when one or both parents reach a stage in their lives where they appear to be frail and vulnerable? What can you do to keep from living with an enormous amount of guilt and worry or feeling that to help means sacrificing your own life? ...more 

CARETIPS

Top 10 Home Safety Tips for Caregivers 

1. If you have a two-story house, make sure all steps on staircases are non-slippery. The same non-slip treads you use for your bathtub can be used on each step’s edge. Or, if you prefer, install a stair elevator chair lift.
    
2. There should be good lighting in all parts of the house, especially on stairs, ideally with a light-switch at the top and the bottom of the stairs ...more

CAREVERSES

Trials and Triumphs of Caregiving

By Rosemary J. Allender, LCSW-C

How
Can I
Thank you
You are special
I will still love you
Even with the roles reversed
At first I feared taking on the task
Caregiving has strengthened our bond
Memories are saved in the family scrapbook
It seems like only yesterday that you were my age
We all sat at the table as you cooked the holiday meal
Everyone gathered for the traditional family time together
There were grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles and siblings
Each year it seemed like our numbers grew in leaps and bounds
Somehow, the years have slipped away and so have the crowds
We no longer need the extra card table, folding chairs or silverware
Many moved away and others have died, but we still have each other
...more
 

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