New Caregiver Story on Caregiver Access site

Lisa tells her story of caring for her mom who has Alzheimer's in this short video.

Developing a great relationship with a home health aide

There are many helpful tips that can make having a new home health aide in your home go smoothly.
http://nextstepincare.org/Provider_Home/Home_Health_Aides/
You can download this free resource pamphlet in English, Chinese, Russian or Spanish.

Who's going to care for my loved one when I can't?

Here's a great 10 page guide on how to make decisions about Home Care for someone you are caring for.
http://nextstepincare.org/Provider_Home/Home_Care_Complete
You can select English, Spanish, Chinese and Russian versions of the information.

Families face different challenges when taking care of Mom and Dad

Give a listen to this series. So many decisions, so few options. At Caregiver Access we are getting ready to help in a big way. We are creating a profession that is family focused and will create support programs for these wonderful families to know they are not alone.

Doctors discover Family Caregivers!

It really matters when you include the Family Caregivers and Informal Caregivers in the medical conversation!

Papers and dying!!??? Getting it together.

What do you need to get organized? This is for all those you will be leaving behind. My mother always told me to "be nice" and this is a good way to start. You'll sleep better.....I promise.

Sharing time and energy

Read about this wonderful program in VT to help community members stay in their homes.

Helping others is better than a day at the gym

Volunteering has its health benefits. Tell your doctor you're going to read to kids at the local library the next time he recommends a diet!

Radio piece and article that will astound you humans!

Rats are natural at being Caregivers

Lawyers on the team......article and video

Find out what Dorothy and Toto learned in Oz. Sometimes the world is just too hostile and complicated to go it alone. A lawyer on your team may be just the thing that every Caregiver needs.

What's Stronger than a Living Will?

Read this great article from AARP and find out why many seriously ill patients are talking to their doctors about the MOLST program in New York.

Caregiver Access the website is live

Join us in celebrating the launch of www.caregiveraccess.org. It's where you'll find resources, programs, information and support for Family and Informal Caregivers. At Caregiver Access we believe that when families have support from their community their Caregiving gets easier. We believe that when Caregivers are equipped with the information they need to know they can rest secure in the knowledge that they are giving their best. We also believe that when Caregivers feel loved and appreciated by those around them it helps to strengthen their hearts for the journey ahead. We want Caregivers to always feel loved and appreciated and welcomed to our family at Caregiver Access.

No two Caregivers are exactly alike, so how can they have so much in common?

I've just spent the last two days making my rounds. I bring my Family Wellness Workshops to assisted living homes, hospitals and active senior residences. I'm always amazed at the variety of stories I hear from the Family Caregivers who attend my workshops.
One daughter described leaving her son and grandchildren and commuting from the southwest of the USA all the way across country to be with her dad whenever she can. Another daughter was local and came to the home every day during the week to take her mom shopping, driving, and to her various appointments.
It wouldn't seem that these two daughters had much in common but once they started talking it became clear that they did. Both of them loved their only surviving parent very much. Both of them worried about the future aging of their loved ones and whether they could handle the gradual decline that was in their future. Both of them felt guilty that they weren't handling things properly or doing enough for their loved one. Both of them had siblings who were making things worse by not helping out, being critical and disagreeing with important decisions that needed to be made.
Family Caregivers have very different situations that they are dealing with but when they get a chance to compare notes they can see how much they are actually alike.

Daffodils in the mud

Imagine waiting an entire year to bloom and then a rain storm weighs down your petals. Instead of announcing spring, the daffodils' lovely yellow petals are stuck in the mud.
Often couples have waited a lifetime to retire. When an illness comes along,instead of walking on a sandy beach or taking an art course at the local museum, a newly recruited Family Caregiver is now sitting by a loved one's bedside or in a doctor's waiting room. Just like the daffodil, Caregivers need a nice "gardner" to come along and shake off the heavy weight of some of their burdens.
Helping their loved one stay at home is one of the most helpful things a community can do for a Family Caregiver. Here's a great program that's been a model for the rest of the country.