http://opentohopecaregivers.com Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:46:35 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Life is funny. Sometimes the most rebellious of us, the teen gone bad, the unwed mother of three, the Harley brother in leather and bandanas  and lots of tattoos who become the best caregiver, the most thoughtful son--or daughter. Why? Sometimes those who travel counter to society have the most tender ... http://opentohopecaregivers.com/caregiver/caregiver-stress/are-you-the-black-sheep-sibling-the-unlikely-caregiver/ I have the privilege of meeting many, many caregivers--and some of them have been at this for a long, long time. Some caregivers are caring for both parents, some a spouse with a chronic disease, others, an adult child who is disabled or challenged. These are the silent heroes. These ... http://opentohopecaregivers.com/caregiver/caregiver-stress/when-caregiving-takes-its-own-sweet-time-pace-yourself-for-the-long-haul/ Alzheimer's does different things to different people. I've heard some people say their spouse or parent got sweeter. "Not my mother," I say in return, laughing (and almost crying at the same time) at some of the antics my mother and I lived through. My mother had Parkinson's and later, developed ... http://opentohopecaregivers.com/caregiver/caregiver-stress/why-does-alzheimers-effect-people-differently/ Mother’s Day ican be bitter-sweet if your mom's no longer here. It's so hard to say the word, “dead,” and in many ways, our loved ones live on--in thoughts, in stories, in how they continue to impact our lives. For many, Mother’s Day can be so painful that we do all we can to avoid ... http://opentohopecaregivers.com/caregiver/caregiver-stress/celebrating-mothers-day-when-moms-gone-turn-bitter-into-sweet/ It's so, so hard to have to tell your son or daughter that their grandfather, grandmother, or parent has died. We dread it so much that we avoid it, but this is a time when our children need us to most. They need us to be clear. They need us to ... http://opentohopecaregivers.com/caregiver/caregiver-stress/honey-grandma-died-talking-to-your-children-about-tough-issues/ No matter how much you try not to think about it, you dread the day your loved one died. It's especially hard, those first couple of anniversaries. Perhaps you spent years caregiving and you're dealing with the void in your life. Perhaps it was sudden and you feel as if ... http://opentohopecaregivers.com/caregiver/caregiver-stress/are-you-dreading-the-death-date-of-a-loved-one/ Is caregiving hard on a marriage? It can be. But it can also be a wake-up call. Sometimes our  marriage can be defined by what we've survived. Yes, caregiving was stressul on marriage--at times. I wrote in my book, Mothering Mother that I felt like I was a giant ice ... http://opentohopecaregivers.com/caregiver/caregiver-stress/does-caregiving-stress-your-marriage-grow-closer-in-your-caregiving-years/ Actress Natasha Richardson died yesterday–from a head injury. She fell on the bunny slopes while skiing with her son in Canada. She was 45. Her death comes as a shock to her family. As hard as it is to be a caregiver and watch someone you love die slowly, it’s even more heartbreaking ... http://opentohopecaregivers.com/caregiver/featured-articles/when-death-comes-as-a-shock-natasha-richardsons-family-faces-hard-times/ Most of us pine for the days when we had home town doc who delivered us, knows everything about us–and cared that we stay alive. Not that most ever had that–but it sure sounds good, doesn’t it? As a caregiver to my mom who had Parkinson’s, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s, trust ... http://opentohopecaregivers.com/caregiver/uncategorized/how-to-talk-to-your-doctor-getting-what-you-want-and-need-for-caregivers-and-families/ I have to admit that I didn’t attend a caregiver support group while I was caring for my mom. Not everyone is the "group" type. I started full time caregiving back in 1998 and honestly, I didn’t even know caregiving support groups existed.  I had decided that it wasn’t going to be to go ... http://opentohopecaregivers.com/caregiver/uncategorized/im-not-sure-i-want-to-attend-a-caregivers-support-group/