Noise bombards us every day Traffic -hour news our mobile devices and a host of other things forms a wall of sound that keeps many of us in a state of agitation For caregivers taking a moment to sit quietly and settle our hearts down seems nearly impossible But if we don't take time for stillness we're going to have to make time for illness The constant state of anxiety stress and sensory overload we experience as caregivers will eventually make us sick Ask any health care professional about the long-term effects of stress When's the last time anyone ever [... more]

From YOUR CAREGIVER MINUTE The morning of the most extensive surgery my wife's ever faced we both felt understandably a bit nervous Sitting in the pre-op area I observed a flurry of medical staff work efficiently to prepare Gracie for what would be a -hour surgery and her nd operation that I can count When the neurosurgeon arrived I noticed a tangible enthusiasm about him Clapping his hands together he brightly looked at us while stating You ready to get this thing done For maybe the first time in my years as a caregiver I felt a calmness and sense [... more]

Much of the heartache I've endured as a caregiver results from my unwillingness to accept things as they are Fighting to change things I remain powerless to change has only made it harder for me and sadly others A friend once told me that acceptance doesn't mean agreement I may not like what I carry or witness but I can accept that it is what it is and be calmer while enduring it That's not defeatist just realistic My wife helped teach me this when she lost both of her legs She didn't like being a double-amputee but it became [... more]

Dark thoughts often grip us as caregivers when struggling with loneliness and isolation We fearfully plead for someone to tell us what to do where to go how to cope or why this is happening Our oldest son fell and lacerated his chin when just a toddler and I held him still while he received stitches I'll never forget the look of terror in his eyes and his screams as he endured what for him was horrifying He had no way to understand what was happening or how to cope Instead of explaining infections antibiotics and wound care I gently [... more]

When someone we love is hurting suffering or impaired we often heroically leap to action and fight the danger Although a good trait in an emergency it's unsustainable in the marathon of caregiving Unlike trauma caregiving requires a different approach In trauma the clock is the adversary but it's the calendar in caregiving Emergency circumstances require immediate action but hasty movement can engage caregivers in way too many battles on multiple fronts leaving us depleted or worse As Don Diego stated to Alejandro in The Mask of Zorro Oh yes my friend you would have fought very bravely and died [... more]

A friend shared this simple task to do when it feels like everything is flying apart I'm trying it today - and invite you to do the same www hopeforthecaregiver com [... more]

Healthiness In Your Hands The neediness of an infirmed loved one frequently obscures a caregiver's fatigue stress and dangerous health patterns Moreover even if noticing the caregiver's exhaustion and strain the warning signs can often go unheeded Usually armed only with love and a sense of responsibility caregivers recklessly deplete themselves physically and emotionally while caring for a vulnerable loved one Passion and commitment are admirable but how long can the patient feel better at the caregiver's expense When faced with chronic impairments love and responsibility accomplish more when directed to the caregiver's well-being first However many caregivers postpone healthy [... more]

Many caregivers struggle with decades-old promises to make sure to never put Mom in a nursing home When making that promise most recall healthier times where the thought of going into a facility seemed far in the horizon Reality sneaks up on the best of us and we find ourselves faced with uncomfortable circumstances The tether of the promise can quickly transform to a noose around the neck of a family caregiver unable to meet the demands of a horrific condition From personal safety to medical expertise caregivers easily find themselves outmatched by an affliction and overpowered by guilt Despite [... more]

Happy New Year can often feel perfunctory and even meaningless in the caregiving world Most of us know that January etc usually brings the same challenges of the previous week and even year s Yet although our responsibilities may not change we can While many fall into the trap of ambitious but unrealistic New Year's Resolutions I usually give mine up for Lent caregivers can instead determine to live rather than just survive Living however requires risks Life is perilous - despite our culture obstinately working to mitigate all risks thank the lawyers for that Isolating to avoid disease injury [... more]

Do you ever listen to talk radio or cable news when the panel starts to argue The voices become an unsettling wall of noise and most change the channel in seconds If we're annoyed by talking heads shouting over politics imagine the unsettledness of those with cognitive issues engaging in or listening to arguments When dealing with someone with an impairment all kinds of subjects fly into the conversation From seeing things not there to recalling things inaccurately it remains pointless to argue when cognitive decline is present Despite even brilliant oratory the impairment still wins the battle Rather than [... more]

It's often repeated We demand justice for others but mercy for ourselves Despite all our technological advances the human condition remains fraught with one-sided grievances In my journey I notice that the shortcomings of others appear in focus while I ashamedly apply a much softer filter to my own Blaming others for disappointments is easy and even justifiable Yet I learned bitterness does nothing to improve my contentment and wellbeing Although it seems counterintuitive a friend shared an effective way to live peacefully is by concentrating on cleaning my side of the street A tremendous mental shift occurred for me [... more]

A listener to my program recently wrote me about drama with her family My family lives out of state but complains I am not taking care of my -year-old mom who lives alone by choice While I help her she will not authorize a power of attorney for health care She has no significant medical problems yet my family is ridiculously harsh towards me and accuses me of things not my responsibility or have not done What do you recommend - Exasperated in Texas [... more]

My -year-old mother doesn't suffer from dementia but is so mean to me How do I make her happy while caring for her I've been sober for years and she makes me want to start drinking again Terri in Texas called the radio program with an all too common problem How do I make her happy Answering Terri on the air I shared that Your responsibility is not to make your mother happy but to work your sobriety program Your mother can get happy in the same shoes she gets mad in Your responsibility is to call your sponsor and [... more]

A recent caller to my radios program shared her journey as a caregiver Combat-related PTSD led her military son down some dark paths including drugs and alcohol and his family disintegrated This grandmother found herself with an impaired son and vulnerable grandchildren When considering the word caregiver most think of caring for the elderly Yet many kinds of caregivers exist and each of them bears their own sadness and difficulties It is often stated that soldiers leave a part of themselves on the battlefield Sometimes caregivers work to compensate for those missing pieces as they care for the seen and [... more]

Every caregiver recalls moments when harsh words leapt from our mouths words we desperately wish we could reclaim Emotions often churn in our hearts like a blender on puree and for caregivers the top seems to easily fly off and create a mess Whether expressing frustration or just reaching a boiling point we can quickly find ourselves spewing our words like a firehose often destructively Arguing with an impaired loved one suffering with dementia mental illness or addiction is pointless Unleashing our vexations on family friends co-workers or medical providers only heaps more guilt and sorrow on our already bruised [... more]

In an emotional phone call a friend shared the recent criticism while struggling to care for her husband Already reeling from significant heartache resulting from her husband's condition the scolding rocked her You should've done All too many spectators of caregivers often feel empowered to offer advice to those shouldering the challenges of caregiving Sometimes non-caregivers bypass advice and go straight to criticizing I suppose it saves time As a rule the best opinions to heed usually come from those possessing training and education relating to the impairment of your loved one Thirty-five years as a caregiver has taught me [... more]

Weary of condescension from a physician years ago regarding my wife's condition I leveled my gaze at him and stated With all due respect Doc I was taking care of her when you were in junior high school So how about we keep this in perspective ' We may not know the science but we know our loved one That knowledge and experience provides us with something I coined Caregiver Authority Quality practitioners recognize the benefit of enlisting our hard-won insights After dealing with physicians and countless nurses I learned years ago that training doesn't make one a better human [... more]

As caregivers owe it to ourselves to inventory the voices with access to our hearts Although caregivers often find themselves in heartbreaking circumstances or surrounded by those with criticism or other negative attitudes we have the power to change that Recently talking with a man struggling while watching his wife slip away I said You live in an environment permeated by approaching death Balance that by immersing yourself into life Knowing he has great-granddaughters close by I suggested letting the attendants briefly look after his wife so he can spend time with those precious girls The life bubbling out of [... more]

Individuals and family members show great wisdom when subscribing to various products and safeguards that protect against data breaches Yet an overlooked identity theft exists for family caregivers Virtually all caregivers find themselves struggling to speak in their voice If you find this podcast meaningful please share it with others and consider helping us do more at www hopeforthecaregiver com giving [... more]

While boundaries remain critical to healthy relationships they sometimes develop on faulty information or impaired thinking Caregivers inevitably collide with such boundaries while caring for loved ones These flawed boundaries may look like resisting rehab for injuries and or addiction issues refusing medications respecting others' time or a whole host of other issues Confronting those disputes requires deftness and wisdom from caregivers particularly when a loved one is dug in behind years of stubbornness Sometimes all that's needed is to clearly explain consequences of behaviors But when confronting someone with addiction or impairment issues for example all many caregivers can [... more]

Peter Rosenberger is the host of HOPE FOR THE CAREGIVER The nation's broadcast and podcast show for family caregivers Peter draws upon his year journey as a caregiver for his wife Gracie through a medical nightmare that includes surgeries multiple amputations and treatment by physicians Learn more at www HopefortheCaregiver com CLICK HERE TO BE A PATRON FOR THIS PODCAST [... more]

Peter Rosenberger is the host of HOPE FOR THE CAREGIVER The nation's broadcast and podcast show for family caregivers Peter draws upon his year journey as a caregiver for his wife Gracie through a medical nightmare that includes surgeries multiple amputations and treatment by physicians Learn more at www HopefortheCaregiver com CLICK HERE TO BE A PATRON FOR THIS PODCAST [... more]

Peter Rosenberger is the host of HOPE FOR THE CAREGIVER The nation's broadcast and podcast show for family caregivers Peter draws upon his year journey as a caregiver for his wife Gracie through a medical nightmare that includes surgeries multiple amputations and treatment by physicians Learn more at www HopefortheCaregiver com CLICK HERE TO BE A PATRON FOR THIS PODCAST [... more]

We do a series called YOUR CAREGIVER MINUTE that airs on hundreds of stations across the country Here's one of my favorites Feel free to share [... more]

Noise bombards us every day From -hour cables news to traffic to our mobile devices we are inundated with a wall of noise that seems to keep so many of us in a state of agitation For Caregivers taking a moment to sit quietly and settle our hearts down seems nearly impossible but it's critical for us to just that You see if we don't take time for stillness we're going to have to make time for illness The constant state of anxiety stress and sensory overload we experience as caregivers will eventually make us sick Stress kills The way [... more]

From YOUR CAREGIVER MINUTE It's simply too easy to become lost as the person pushing the wheelchair We're become the one standing in the hospital room corner the one doing laundry or meals etc How can we talk about our own broken hearts or weariness when our loved ones have such drastic illnesses or challenges Too many caregivers feel guilty for saying anything construed as complaining or wanting a break After all the suffering loved one doesn't get a break from pain disease disability But our injuries and wounds whether physical or emotional require attention regardless of how they compare [... more]

Caregivers often spend a great deal of time at doctors' offices but it's for someone else not themselves One of the Caregiver Landmines is failing to see your own physician as a caregiver If you're not healthy what happens to your loved one [... more]

Who secures the firearms of the vast number of American gun owners living with Alzheimer's dementia mental illness or substance impairments All too many caregivers either don't know about the guns or don't know how to properly safety and secure them This is where pastors can be a real help to those individuals and their families For every pastor please ask those in your congregation who serve as caregivers of a loved one with a mental impairment Are there firearms in the home and if so are they secured That simple question can prevent indescribable pain There are so many [... more]