1,000 acts of kindness #5

1,000 acts of kindness. Caregiver Access acknowledges Caregivers who suffer with the guilt of neglecting the well-child, or their spouse or their friends in order to provide the level of care that they feel the person who needs them requires.

1,000 acts of kindness #4

1,000 acts of kindness. Caregiver Access acknowledges Caregivers who need to hide their true feelings. You often can't say how worried or sad you are in front of the person you are caring for. You often need to appear strong when you feel shattered. You watch your dreams for your future change or disappear and you can't complain to the person you are caring for. Other Caregivers understand and we at Caregiver Access understand. Come and talk to us.. We know........

1,000 acts of kindness #3

1,000 acts of kindness. Caregiver Access acknowledges Caregivers who understand that the person they are caring for may have become more narcissitic because that's what pain, aging, injuries and disabilities tend to bring about. We understand that acknowledgement, thanks and appreciation aren't always available to you and you still get out there each and every day and provide care.

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.

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!

Hudson Valley Caregivers.....give a listen.

Radio Rotary focuses on Caring for the Caregiver. Lots of great stuff to share with the Caregivers in your life.

Sharing time and energy

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

The unspoken side of Caregiving

Caregivers who already have leanings towards various addictions need to stay alert to the stress they are experiencing. Read about this Caregiver issue to prevent the heart break.

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

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.