blogpage
Please VOTE
Nov 05, 2019 by Eileen Adler
To-day, alike are great and small,
The nameless and the known;
My palace is the people’s hall,
The ballot-box, my throne!
–John Greenleaf Whittier, American poet (1807–1892)
Be Care Curious – What Does that Mean? November is National Family Caregivers Month
Nov 01, 2019 by Eileen Adler
When I taught elementary school, we held child study team meetings, inviting all the stakeholders (professionals and family members) for every student who demonstrated a need for more interventive care, followed with an Individualized Educational Program (IEP). Periodically, as per the goals set in the IEP, meetings were scheduled to determine the efficacy of the program. As care partners, we may realize that more interventive care is needed, and all the stakeholders must be invited and informed.
Be Care Curious gathers all the stakeholders in the shared care of a loved one for a personal IEP – Individualized Empowerment Program. I made that up, but this shared approach is empowering for every stakeholder, just like the stakeholders who keep a tent habitable – you need all the stakes, or you might be sleeping under the stars!
What do I have in common with their conversation?
Oct 29, 2019 by Eileen Adler
As I was walking a few weeks ago, I listened to one of my favorite podcasts: On Being with Krista Tippett, and her guest that morning was Imani Perry who addressed the concerns she had raising two black sons. I parented two sons, but they are not black so I wondered what I would glean from the conversation. I’ve continued to think about the message and how it relates to me and even further, how Ms. Perry wove the guidance and care for the two most important people in her life as she mentored them as both a parent and care partner. My guidance has shifted from parenting to partnering as I continue my journey as a care partner.
Sometimes, I feel alone, despite being surrounded by people.
Oct 24, 2019 by Eileen Adler
It’s possible that when we are caring for someone, we neglect our own needs in deference to theirs. This is a wonderful altruistic goal, but it can leave damaging effects. Without realizing it, we may sink into depression, a common complaint among many care partners. If it is just easier to stay at home, realize that it’s not healthier, in fact, loneliness may have the same detrimental effects as a chronic disease.
Lee McConaughy knew in that instant, that her life would never be the same again.
Oct 19, 2019 by Eileen Adler
On a beautiful January 29thmorning in 2006, while vacationing at Disney World, Lee McConaughy, Bob Woodruff’s wife, answered the phone call and immediately knew that her old life was over and a new one was here — in an instant. Lee and Bob are the parents of four children, Macklin Robert (b 1991), Cathryn (b 1994), and twins Claire and Nora (b 2000). On that fateful morning, the children were fourteen, eleven, and the twins were five years old.
Sometimes, more help is needed but who can we turn to? This is an amazing resource.
Oct 13, 2019 by Eileen Adler
The Family Caregiving Alliance, https://www.caregiver.org/offers a wealth of support.
“Our Family Care Navigator helps family caregivers locate public, nonprofit, and private programs and services nearest their loved one—living at home or in a residential facility. Resources include government health and disability programs, legal resources, disease-specific organizations and more.”
Are we lost? That is a camel, right, but aren’t we at the Great Wall in China? Yes, actually we are.
Oct 09, 2019 by Eileen Adler
Visiting China in 2013, we saw this image in the parking lot after we finished our tour of the Great Wall. It’s a Bactrian Camel with two humps that look like the letter B, not a Dromedary with one hump that looks like a D. It made me think of BD – Best Days - for hiring an activity partner or a home care health aide.
Rip off the paper! Rip off the covers! Show us your . . . what???
Oct 04, 2019 by Eileen Adler
I’m talking about your smile! It’s funny that just smiling makes us feel better even when we feel that there is nothing to smile about. A smile spreads happiness from the inside out. Rip off the paper! Rip off the covers and showcase your smile. The smiley face symbol began in 1963 when Harvey Ross Ball, (1921-2001) a commercial artist, designed an image to increase morale in the workplace. His altruistic goal was to bring kindness to our lives, and this continues to be a symbol of goodwill worldwide.
Making is an Act of Remembering
Sep 30, 2019 by Eileen Adler
The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is on Sunday morning, November 3, 2019. They have been so kind in providing a booth for me to donate the Bust Buddies that we have been knitting throughout the year. My goal is to knit one pair per month, but my dear friend Terri Miles, knits one pair per week! Awesome! What are Bust Buddies? They are hand-knitted prosthetics for women who have undergone a mastectomy. Filled with polyester fiberfill, they are tucked in a bra to fill out the missing part.
Healing the Heart with Art
Sep 25, 2019 by Eileen Adler
Susan Gordon Lydon’s book Knitting Heaven and Earth: Healing the Heart with Craft inspires us to ply our craft to heal our heart with art or whatever your passion might be. The repetitive rhythm of the knitting needles soothe Susan’s heart as she writes about recovery from addiction supported by the twelve-step program in the 1980s, her romantic breakup (it’s over, I know, and I must let it go), the death of her father (repairing, reknitting, overcoming what had been an unraveled relationship), and if that’s not enough, her diagnosis of aggressive breast cancer.
Immerse Yourself in Something New by Eileen Adler
Sep 20, 2019 by Eileen Adler
On the anniversary of my father’s passing, I always try to do something special. The first year I had my first colonoscopy; I won’t bore you with the details, but things improved after that. Today I decided to learn more about a favorite glass blowing artist, Dale Chihuly born on this day in 1941. I first saw his glass sculpture at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas while waiting at the registration desk, looking up at the most beautiful garden one could imagine. The glass installation weighs over four thousand pounds and showcases more than two thousand flowers.
Caught! by Eileen Adler
Sep 16, 2019 by Eileen Adler
“Caught you!” How do we handle being caught red-handed with our hands in the metaphorical cookie jar? As a preschool educator, we used to sing a circle song that the children adored, but the underlying message now feels much more insidious. Are we unwilling to admit our mistake and take responsibility or are we quick to blame another?
September 12-15– Yarn Crawl weekend is slow and steady, but this isn’t a slog. What is it?
Sep 13, 2019 by Eileen Adler
No matter where you live, you might find a yarn crawl event close by. If you’re not familiar with this concept, a yarn crawl invites yarn crafters to visit local yarn shops, which of course they could do on their own, but the fun and excitement generated by all the hosting stores make this event memorable. You don’t have to buy anything but how can you resist when the stores are all decked out in their finest array of yarns and patterns, your senses inspired to overflowing!
Peel Back the Layers by Eileen Adler
Sep 11, 2019 by Eileen Adler
This day is seared into many of our memories. We know exactly what we were doing and where we were. The phone rang early that morning, never a good sign, and I assumed the call would be from my family because my 95-year-old father had surgery the day before at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City; my worst fears might be realized with this phone call. I immediately picked up the phone on the first ring hearing my older son’s voice telling us to turn on the television; we did.
September – Alzheimer’s Awareness Month by Eileen Adler
Sep 09, 2019 by Eileen Adler
September is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month focusing on this debilitating brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking, and reasoning skills. This picture of my mother was taken a few years before her symptoms set in with abandon. In the beginning, Mom would explain that her “brain cells” were dying when she couldn’t remember things, trying to explain her gaffe, but she was acutely aware that something was terribly wrong.
My Parents by Eileen Adler
Sep 04, 2019 by Eileen Adler
Is this the script running through your head: they’re MY parents, so I’m responsible because they raised me, so I owe it to them to take care of them in their diminishing years?
Bet You Can’t Knit Just One! A Potato Chip Knitting Pattern by Eileen Adler
Aug 30, 2019 by Eileen Adler
Knitting is my passion, but sometimes, the thought of knitting an entire garment becomes overwhelming.
Little Things Catch Us Off Guard
Aug 28, 2019 by Eileen Adler
I want to knit, or read, or make dinner, or go for my walk . . . no need to focus on this . . . but it can be challenging.
You are Infinite
Aug 25, 2019 by Eileen Adler
We have been there, done that and so has our care receiver, but we want to feel empathy for our care receiver to exhibit our ability to understand their feelings through their journey.
Can We Learn from a Nursery Rhyme? A Lesson for The Little Red Hen
Aug 23, 2019 by Eileen Adler
Over yonder and down in the valley was a beautiful apple orchard and nestled in one corner was a corral for the farm animals including a cat, a dog, a goat, and a little red hen who has taken it upon herself to supervise the other animals, and most often, the three of them were compliant but on this day, they resisted her overture.
