Hope for the Caregiver Blog
Stressed Caregiving Daughter’s Mean Mother, Makes Her Want To Resume Drinking!
Dear Peter: I'm caring for my 93-year-old mother. She doesn't have dementia, but she's just mean! I've tried everything I can, but I can't make her happy. I've been sober for 6 years, but she makes me want me to start drinking again. I don't know what to do, I simply...
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...
Pastor Robert Morgan: “This was our last project together.”
One of my favorite and most inspiring friends is Pastor Robert Morgan. A caregiver for three decades for his wife, Katrina, through her journey of MS, Robert brings vast experience and depth to his books and ministry. Throughout his journey as a caregiver, Robert...
Morning Chores That Lift My Soul
Each morning through the winter months in Montana, my morning chores included feeding horses. I take a snowmobile out while pulling a sled filled with hay. The horses are always excited to see me ...or at least they're excited to see the hay! Either way, it's deeply...
Caregivers and Fear
While "The Only Thing We Have To Fear is Fear Itself" inspired a nation facing war, the battle between caregivers and fearful issues remains constant and different. REAL and frightening things face us. How do we deal with them? What's the path to safety? We discuss...
“We have Met The Enemy …and He is Us!
With all due respect to Commodore Perry ...I paraphrased, changed, and re-appropriated his famous quote. As caregivers, our enemy is not our loved one ...or their condition. Rather, it is ourselves. Particularly the pesky, yet delicious sin that we savor:...
From “…a musical gig” to a cause! Anthony Cirillo Shares His Passion for Caregivers
Playing bass, guitar, and singing took him into the world of caregivers. Now, Anthony Cirillo has a cause and a huge impact on the healthcare systems in our country. Anthony Cirillo is Global Practice Partner of GIS Healthcare, a provider of caregiver and related...
I Can Only Hold You Now
Sitting at the piano, I played a simple five note melody. Stewing around with it for a while, I knew I wanted to write a song to describe the heart of a caregiver. Playing with it bit more, I kept coming back to that simple melody. After a while, I reached out to a...
Caller Says “God is Her Doctor.”
One of the 7 Caregiver Landmines is Ignoring Personal Health Needs, and more than 70% of caregivers fail to see their own physicians. While most caregivers offer excuses such as money or time, this caller stated she didn't need to because, "God is her doctor." Take a...
THE Solution to Caregivers’ Legal Needs
Living Wills, Power of Attorney, Wills, Traffic Tickets, Business Disputes, Filing for Disability ...the list is endless for things that require the skills of an attorney. As a caregiver, can you afford to pay for those services? Can you afford to deal with them...
A Conversation With Singer/Songwriter (and caregiver) Gary Chapman
One of my all time favorite songwriters is Gary Chapman. Whenever I hear his songs, I have to stop and listen ...and they continue to stir my heart. Especially TREASURE. Gary is also a caregiver...on several levels. As Gary reflects in this interview, the journey...
“If You’ve Got Your Hair and Your Teeth …You’re Alright!”
Back in the 1970's, a friend of mine in the music business worked with legendary artist, James Brown. Years later, my friend encountered the soul singer again and remarked, "You haven't changed in 25 years! With a huge smile, James Brown responded, "If You've Got Your...
“This is all my hope and peace…” (Bonus Material for Followers)
When producing my CD, Songs for the Caregiver, I knew this song, What Can Wash Away My Sin, needed to be included. Gracie recorded this in our kitchen. Our longtime friend from college (and Grammy winning music engineer) Chris Latham came to the house and set up...
As Caregivers, We’re Not Being Delivered FROM It …but rather, THROUGH It.
So many times, we caregivers cry out to God for us to be "delivered FROM" these challenges. Doing this for 34 years, however, I'm learning that God meets us in it ...and delivers us THROUGH It. In the process, we discover our battle is not with our loved one's...
Videos
Igniting a Nation Interviews On the last Monday of each month, Peter sits down with Rabbi Eric Walker of Igniting a Nation to unpack issues affecting today's family caregiver. Periodically, they both veer off into other areas in these informative and inspiring...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
“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...
