Elder Care

Stress-free Travel Tips for Caregivers

Art - Stress-Free Tips

Travel can be challenging even for those of us who are young and spry. Travel during the fall and winter holidays can be even more so. By preparing your loved one and following these travel tips for caregivers, you can reduce the stress on your loved one, the family they are visiting and yourself.

Elder-life With Dogs

Happy senior woman in wheelchair rejoices walking with dog outdoors.

My grandmother was not the first elderly person to benefit from having a pet, nor was she the last. Pet companionship is fantastic because you can talk to a dog or cat all day, and they don’t care if a story is repeated, or even if you’re talking to them. While it’s true that most pet dogs recognize about the same number of words as the average human two-year-old, what they really respond to is the sound of the human voice.

Finding Your Way in Transitions, Part 2 of 3: The In-Between Stage

The Inbetween by bastien-nvs-R7EfLoHHpPk-unsplash

In this second part we’ll look at the In-Between stage. For caregivers it is the space between what was and what will be. Suzanne Braun Levine calls this space the Fertile Void and describes it as, “the long, slow, deep breath -the gathering in of strength – that precedes a daring leap into the unknown.”

Telling Stories

We Are All Made of Stories

Some of the best stories I’ve heard came from my grandparents. Sometimes these were made-up tales – bits of fiction to entertain small children – but other times they were gifts of memories, personal or family histories, things that make us who we are.

Autumn Light

Autumn light

As caregivers, we must be aware that the people we support often react to the change of seasons with heightened emotions. When my grandmother was first sliding into dementia, the simple act of packing away her summer clothes and bringing out her warmer winter wardrobe would make her anxious. Where were her belongings going, and would she get them back?

Scroll to Top