http://caregivingblog.com A weblog of topics of interest and support for home caregivers of elders. Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:13:54 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en To be perfectly honest, there are really only two topics to write about in a blog about caregiving. One is the resources available for caregivers, and the other is caregiver stress. The caregiver who doesn't find the work stressful is a rare bird indeed. A recent post in the blog ... http://caregivingblog.com/caregiving-news/caregiver-stress-is-a-recurring-problem.html Something like 2,400 years ago, the Greek dramatist Sophocles wrote a play called Philioctetes, the story of "a difficult patient." Philoctetes, a genuine war hero, has suffered a terrible wound and has been abandoned by his fellow soldiers. He is unkempt, his infected foot is messy and gives off ... http://caregivingblog.com/caregiving-news/the-philoctetes-project-a-caregivers-eye-view.html Check out this link to see the videos submitted to WGBH. As you might expect, opinions are all over the place on all of them. I found that I had the most to say about the one called "Dammit, Dad," probably because it points out the particular challenges guys ... http://caregivingblog.com/caregiving-news/video-finalists-are-available-for-viewing.html Caregivers have a chance to tell their stories to a TV audience... When I opened my e-mail this morning, I found this message: I work for The WGBH Lab (a small part of that big PBS station in Boston) and I'm trying to get the word out about something ... http://caregivingblog.com/caregiving-news/an-invitation-to-readers-of-caregivingblog.html Calling all sleepless caregivers. You know who you are... You know you feel awful when you don't get enough sleep, but here's something that perhaps you didn't know: Feeling bad is not the message of insufficient sleep; it is only the messenger. The actual message is a lot more ... http://caregivingblog.com/caregiving-news/not-getting-enough-sleep-you-may-be-a-caregiver.html Food for thought for 2008… OK, caregivers, it’s time to take your caregiving situation in hand. Now, everybody please raise your right hand and make these resolutions along with me. I do hereby solemnly swear that... 10. I won’t try to be the Lone Ranger As a family caregiver, you’re a ... http://caregivingblog.com/caregiving-news/top-10-new-year%e2%80%99s-resolutions-for-family-caregivers.html Please give me some good advice in your next letter. I promise not to follow it. --Edna St. Vincent Millay I've always found a sort of push-pull built into being a primary caregiver for a family elder. On one hand, you want other family members to pitch in. On the other ... http://caregivingblog.com/caregiving-news/new-year-thoughts-for-caregivers.html Looking back on a hypothetical year… Every year as holiday greeting cards begin to arrive, you probably receive a few annual letters that give you a chance to read about your friends' and relatives' lives--the awards and promotions, the fabulous vacations, the fancy new homes and shiny cars, the ... http://caregivingblog.com/caregiving-news/a-caregivers-holiday-letter.html And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"   http://caregivingblog.com/caregiving-news/he-sprang-to-his-sleigh-to-his-team-gave-a-whistle.html Sit with me by the homestead hearth And stretch the hands of memory forth    To warm them at the wood-fire's blaze! --John Greenleaf Whittier, Snowbound We had snow over the weekend. Lots and lots of snow. This has been the snowiest December around here for a long time. We went through the usual ... http://caregivingblog.com/caregiving-news/the-snowbound-caregiver.html