How are your holidays going this year? (…and yes, I know you may feel like most of it is already in the rearview mirror, but it’s not officially over until the new year begins!) Have the last weeks or months been filled with just the right amount of relaxing, reconnecting and socializing with family and [...]

Did you know that November is National Family Caregivers Month? If not, here’s a great way to celebrate it while there are still a few days left! In keeping with last week’s article about the real secret to being self-reliant, I want to share with you a wonderful article written by Virginia Morey. It’s called [...]

“Sometimes asking for help is the most meaningful example of self-reliance.” (from poem “Sometimes” by U.S. Senator Cory Booker, then Mayor of Newark) Family caregivers are some of the most capable, hardworking and dedicated people I’ve ever met. They come through for their loved ones, “come hell or high water,” and sacrifice their own self-care [...]

What happens when you feel judged for how much you do to take care of your family member, or criticized for particular choices you’ve made in providing that care? Do you react by feeling like you have to prove to your judges, and justify to your critics, what you do and why you need to [...]

It’s hard to find anyone these days who wouldn’t agree that we are currently experiencing some chaotic times – all one has to do is turn on the television, read the front page of a newspaper or open an internet browser, and it’s instantly obvious. I recently told someone that I believe “we are being [...]

Have you ever been faced with looks from a family member that twist your gut into a knot…or a snide comment that makes your skin crawl? Do those looks and comments – and perhaps a history of arguments or guilt trips – keep you from speaking up when you feel someone has crossed a line [...]

Caregivers – don’t get much true vacation time – and when they do, they must return to “normal” operating mode: constant and intense activity, plus the stress of being responsible for one or more loved ones. Add to this the frequent bombardment by unexpected, stressful news on any given day. As much as it may [...]

Thinking about the importance of recognizing the immense contribution of American laborers this past holiday really highlighted for me an issue that’s been coming up a great deal lately in caregiver conversation circles: the growing number of caregivers suffering in silence. Many caregivers describe to me that they feel it’s better for their parents or [...]

Ah, the infamous unexpected setback, just when things were going so well, and we were making so much progress…! It helps to know that it’s to be expected – that it happens all the time. That’s because learning doesn’t happen on a straight upward path. So, yes, there will be not only bumps in the [...]

More and more these days I am hearing from caregivers who come to me for help that a huge challenge for them is a constant feeling of anxiety, which in turn often interferes with their getting enough sleep. If this is something you are also struggling with, be sure to check out this recent Reader’s [...]