I read a profile of a comedienne, Hannah Berner, in The New York Times(opens in new tab) this morning. She landed a Netflix special which probably both excited and terrified her. Before she stepped onstage to begin taping, she told herself: “What if you just let your dreams come true?” […]
In May, I decided to build a calculator to better understand your value. I had released other calculators as part of a care economy series to demonstrate the cost of not supporting family caregivers. The missing calculator, I decided, was the one that takes into account the scope of your […]
I paused while reading this profile of a family caregiver in People magazine: “We are not a caregiver and a patient. We are still a team,” she affirms. “It’s only been in the last six months that I’ve accepted the term caregiver. I only wanted to be his wife. I […]
Several years ago, I attended a seminar given by Alan Seale, who taught us his take on how to manifest our goals and dreams. One tip he suggested was to “Remember the future.” Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? How can we have a memory of an event that has […]
During one update to my dad about home health and palliative care visits for him and my mom, my dad looked at me and said: “Isn’t there someone who should be organizing this for us? Like someone with the insurance?” “Nope,” I said. “That’s why I’m doing it.” Family caregivers […]
Our days can feel so full of drudgery. We begin the day with the grind of To Do’s and close the day with thoughts of tomorrow’s toil. Let’s break up the grind. Let’s explore. We can explore right where we are. We can explore: ideas with a colleague or friend […]
After my dad’s bladder cancer diagnosis in March 2004, I regularly attended doctor’s appointments with my parents and provided emotional support to them. My dad received ongoing treatment, which he managed, for his cancer. Because I made attending his appointments a priority, I also advocated on behalf of my dad, […]
I think about the thoughts in my head, which can become my experience with the world. Recently, I got trapped by these thoughts: I’m never getting anywhere. I’ll live like this forever. Life is just painful. These thoughts made me feel even worse. My circumstances hurt my body and my […]
We can bring support to family caregivers when we include an aftercare plan for them in the hospital discharge plan. Expanding the CARE Act can do just that. During an eight-month period in 2015, I managed nine discharges for my parents, which included six hospital discharges, two discharges from short-term […]
