EDITOR'S PEN

Gary Barg, Editor-in-Chief
 

By the time I got to Phoenix

Yesterday at our Phoenix Fearless Caregiver Conference, the caregiving concepts, concerns and credible solutions were flying across the room, from expert panelist to family attendee and back again. Of the many topics we covered in detail (including getting family members to help, the support available to caregivers in the community, the support available to veteran caregivers) was grandparent caregiving.

In fact, I would like to take a moment to salute the six million Americans who serve as grandparent caregivers. You should all, in fact, be honored each and every day of the year for the role you play in the lives of your grandchildren. So many times, the causes for grandparent caregiving are attributed to what I call the Seven Tragic Ds which have affected their own children, leaving their grandchildren in need of care. The Seven Tragic Ds are Death, Disease, Divorce, Disinterest, Depression, Dollars and Drugs ...more

IN THIS ISSUE

By the time I got to Phoenix
 

Stress and the Holidays: Coping Strategies to Keep you Sane
 

Making Sense of Long-Term Care Insurance
 

Caring for a Child with Diabetes
 

CareVerses

FEATURED ARTICLE

Stress and the Holidays:
Coping Strategies to Keep you Sane

By Helen Hunter, ACSW, CMSW

Every year, the media bombards us with advertisements showing the “happy family” gathering for the holidays. People from different generations are together, having a wonderful time, sharing traditions of old and creating new ones as well ...more

GUEST ARTICLE

Making Sense of Long-Term Care Insurance

By Cheryl Smith, MA

Although your focus is probably on providing care for your loved one, it’s important to think about and prepare for your own future caregiving needs. Long-Term Care insurance (LTCi) is a hot topic these days as the more than 76 million baby boomers approach retirement ...more

CARETIPS

Caring for a Child with Diabetes

By Michelle Reynolds

Children with diabetes are the same as any other children in the need for attention, guidance, and love, but they have special needs when it comes to controlling their diabetes. Diabetes comes in two forms with children almost always diagnosed with Type 1, known as insulin-dependent, requiring regular injections of insulin to regulate the sugar in the blood. There are three things that must be regulated in order to control diabetes. They are monitoring your child’s food and exercise, and supplying insulin ...more

CAREVERSES

A Caregiver’s Treasure Book

By Cyndie Goins Hoelscher

Caregiver,
in case someone hasn’t mentioned it,
you are a treasure — radiant, precious and rare.

You care,
bestowing your gifts in a time
when the world may not seem so bright or pretty.

You are treasured
as highly as the diamonds, rubies, and sapphires
precious gems in this world.

These jewels,
rarely recognized in their natural state,
are cut, faceted and polished,
until they sparkle for the whole world to admire.

Like these stones, caregivers shine.
And when the world may not seem so pretty,
remember this gift — a treasure box
to keep in your secret place,
so you will be reminded time and time again
of how priceless you truly are.

Enjoy more caregiver poems
or share one of your own