The Cheerful Caregiver
Archive 2011
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Caregiver, have confidence!
December 26, 2011
Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy. – Norman Vincent Peale... Read more
5 Comments
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Ho! Ho! Whoa!
December 19, 2011
"Recharging is absolutely crucial for introverts." – Carl King... Read more
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It's about presence, not presents
December 12, 2011
"When I look back, I recall countless hours spent perusing catalogs and stores trying to find the right gift for my mother. I also recall, as the disease progressed, watching her happily unwrapping her gifts but not understanding they were for her or what they were...... Read more
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5 Great Gifts for Caregivers
November 29, 2011
Caregivers deserve to receive great gifts – not only at the holidays, but all year long: Trinkets that say "thank you," "great job," and "you are loved." That last one is especially important. Family caregivers so freely give their love away that you need to share your love with them in order to repeplenish their well...... Read more
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Embrace Imperfectionism
December 05, 2011
My mom moved to New Mexico one year ago last month. Since then, I have cleaned her home exactly twice.... Read more
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Daily Routines: Write Them Down!
November 28, 2011
I think routines represent a crucial element for family caregiver success. Routines ground us. And by "us," I mean both caregivers and the loved ones they care for. However, it's easy to stray from routines. Flexibility is one thing; abandoning routines is another.... Read more
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Find the Real Riches in Your Life
November 21, 2011
"Happiness is making the most of what you have, and riches is making the most of what you've got." ~Penelope Keeling, The Shell Seekers... Read more
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Save Money on Food
November 14, 2011
Discover five simple ways to help lower your food expenses. From Caring.com.... Read more
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Are We Broke Yet?
November 07, 2011
In 2010, my friend Elizabeth Shean caused a bit of a sensation when she dared to discuss the hard costs involved in caring for an elderly parent. Shean took her father into her home and was unprepared for the real dollars-and-cents impact it would have on her and her husband's finances...... Read more
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Attaining 'Repose and Calm'
October 31, 2011
"If you can attain repose and calm, believe that you have seized happiness." – Jeanne Julie Eleonore de Lespinasse... Read more
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Five Tips for Making Healthy Choices when Dining Out
October 24, 2011
Every Saturday and Monday, Mom and I go out for lunch. Dining out is one of her main joys in life, so I don't want to deprive her of it. Yet I find it hard sometimes to make healthy choices when we go to a restaurant.... Read more
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I said no to Mom, and...
October 16, 2011
We were talking money over at The Cheerful Caregiver recently, and reader Roxanne chimed in with another aspect of the financial toll of caring for an elderly parent: loss of income. Where do you find the money to take care of your parent and also give yourself the material things you deserve...... Read more
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We Need a New Language for Caregiving
October 10, 2011
I've been thinking lately about how we need a new language for family caregiving. For instance, what do you call the person being cared for? I mean, sure, I call her "Mom," but the English language doesn't have a good counterpart for the term caregiver. Care-receiver? That's cumbersome...... Read more
