Hope for the Caregiver Blog
You Can’t Play A Piano With Clenched Fists
Caregivers and Resentment Resentment seems to be a regular companion for caregivers. Often stemming from a deep-seated belief of obligation, caregivers drive themselves mercilessly with such internal commands such as, “I have to, I must, I’m supposed to, and I...
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Her 42-year-old Husband had a Stroke.
"Many mistakenly think a stroke happens to the elderly." Sandi Floria quickly moved to intense concern when her 42-year-old husband repeatedly dropped the baby food while feeding their child. The puzzled look on his face signaled more than just clumsy hands, and...
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Finding Humor in Dark Places
In an interview with AARP some years back, they mentioned so many people serving as caregivers don’t necessarily see themselves or identify as a caregiver. They asked, “How do people know if they are indeed a caregiver?” The question struck me as hilariously funny,...
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A Goal To Cure, A Passion To Care
Reflecting on the 35th Anniversary of Identifying HIV Following three terrifying years since first learning about a then-nameless but virtually always fatal illness, the world held its collective breath as HHS Secretary Margaret Heckler stood at the podium for a press...
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False Feeling of Security Signaled by Johns Hopkins’ Immune System Study
In a recent study on caregivers published on March 2019 in the Gerontologist, Dr. David Roth of Johns Hopkins Medical Center detailed the impact of caregiving on inflammation as well as the immune system. The study revealed that immune and/or...
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The Mueller Report’s Missing Color
Washington DC insiders and members of the national news media remain consumed with Barr’s redaction colors. Yet one color will be conspicuously absent: ‘Gray’ This color remains heavy on the hearts and minds of millions of an aging baby-boomer population. With 10,000...
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“Here’s Your Sign…”
Do we need to change the sign for those with disabilities? Tennessee seeks to mirror New York and Connecticut in adopting a new symbol for handicapped accessible parking spots. Rather than the globally recognized sign of a stick figure sitting straight in the...
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Can You Be Both a Caregiver and a Lover? Dr. Phil Says “No.”
An Open Letter To Dr. Phil Your disheartening comments from your March 12 episode about a young couple struggling with quadriplegia and their relationships requires a lot of cleanup. “You’re going to need to make a choice for me, and you’re going to need to make it...
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If Health Care Is a Right, What’s Next?
Few laying on a gurney heading to surgery want “lowest bidder government operatives.” One cannot help but admire those who persevere through medical school. For most, the journey begins as teenagers and weighs heavily on young minds as they slog through a difficult...
read more A LINE IN THE SAND FOR LIFE
From one geographical extreme to another, American state assemblies strode into the viability and quality of life issue in groundbreaking ways during January. Starting with Hawaii’s new Our Choice Our Care Act launched on January 1, 2019, medically-assisted death...
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Cargivers and Toxic Masculinity
TOXIC MASCULINITY:The Tweet that Launched a Thousand Razor Burns Apparently, Donald Trump isn’t the only one who can set off a firestorm with a Tweet. Gillette seems to be giving the President a run for his money with this Tweet that launched at least a thousand razor...
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Medically Assisted Death and the Family Caregiver
Medically Assisted Death and the Family Caregiver As more states adopt paths for medically assisted death, family caregivers remain virtually omitted from the conversation and care. The lid of this Pandora’s Box is opening wider as Christians flounder in sharing a...
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There Used To Be M & M’s
For as long as I can remember, when my father came home from reserve duty in the military, he brought each of my brothers and my sister a pack of M & M’s. Stretching past his military service as a chaplain, he and my mother extended the treats to when...
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The Orientation and Disorientation of Caregivers
The Orientation and Disorientation of Caregivers Walking into Waffle House for breakfast, I held the door for two men. The younger man awkwardly helped his older companion with a walker and oxygen tank. No stranger to these things myself, I waited for...
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A Deeper Consolation
Yet Another Consolation Opportunity As the news of yet another mass shooting confronted America following the tragedy in Pittsburgh, the frequency of these events may have created an ancillary effect. Where Americans once put our hands over our mouth in horror, an...
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Joni, Gracie, and S.693
Joni Eareckson Tada and Gracie Rosenberger Discuss Senate Bill 693 (S.693) From HOPE FOR THE CAREGIVER 10/30/2018 MUSIC INTRO (Gracie and Joni performing Through It All) If I’d never had a problem, I would not know Jesus could solve them. I’d...
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Healthy Caregivers Can Speak Life
Choosing Life The state of Hawaii recently passed the Our Care, Our Choice Act, which legalizes “medically assisted death.” For those wanting to end their life, the act requires two witnesses attesting to their desire for death. In addition, two doctors must agree the...
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Caregivers Attending Church
“When we try to attend Church, it seems something ALWAYS goes wrong!” When caring for someone with dementia, isolation develops as an increasing challenge for family caregivers. Many caregivers feel cut off from places of comfort and community, such as attending...
read more10 Tips To Help Dementia Patients With Meals
The challenges of dementia don't simply stop at forgetfulness. Virtually every area of a dementia patient's life feels the impact of this heartbreaking condition—including meals. Once serving as a time of fellowship, dementia can turn mealtimes into flash...
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If the Machine is Broken, Protect Your Treasure!
Why Continue Putting Coins In A Broken Soda Machine? At a support group I regularly attend, a soda machine dispensing perfectly chilled drinks hums quietly against the wall. While seemingly a small thing, I enjoy the meetings with a refreshing beverage—taking a break...
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How Can You Laugh at A Time Like This?!
Our life as caregivers can be filled with grim and painful things, and those circumstances can transfer us into grim people. Thirty years as a caregiver has taught me the importance of humor and laughter. Furthermore, I found it helpful to...
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