From Hope for the Caregiver's national broadcast - - Let's face it many people don't know what to say when encountering someone struggling with divorce broken relationships a tragedy or other painful realities Just put it behind you Don't look in the rearview mirror That's in the past While sounding like good advice to keep moving forward there are times when acknowledging the magnitude of someone's heartache is appropriate and sifting through the mess and assessing the destruction is required Recovery takes time and part of the process involves meticulously inspecting the damage Any insurance adjuster who's visited a client [... 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]

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]

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]

Famed anthropologist Margaret Mead shared that the first sign of civilization is compassion seen in a healed femur She backed her claim by explaining the amount of time and compassion from the tribe or community required to care for that individual until able to resume normal activities ' Survival of the fittest doesn't include healed femurs Caregivers live with significant injuries as well Injuries of the soul that can cripple a person Anyone who's cared for a chronically impaired loved one cannot recover from such an experience without compassionate help from others Just as we would rush to someone with [... 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]

Forgiveness benefits the offended does not require reconciliation and can be extended even if unsolicited Remorseless criminals fill our prisons yet victims can still forgive Many care for abusive but impaired loved ones who are incapable of repenting and reconciling Yet those caregivers can still forgive Resentment gnaws at our souls and as caregivers we already bear enough We can choose instead to walk in forgiveness and lose the grudges while keeping healthy boundaries I think it's about Forgiveness Don Henley If you find this podcast meaningful help us do more please visit www hopeforthecaregiver com [... more]

Hiring individuals to help with an impaired loved one is not only an important decision but a difficult one We discussed this with the caller and pointed him to resources that I think serve as the Gold-standard of what to look for If you are enjoying this podcast and our nationally syndicated radio program please help us add more radio stations by supporting this ministry https hopeforthecaregiver com giving [... more]

The Daily Encouraging Word with Dr Don Wilton [... more]

A young father held his baby boy in his arms singing to him and rocking him in soothing rhythm Music played in the background while the father sang out the lyrics to his son The baby was hearing-impaired unable to hear the melody or the words Yet the father sang anyway in a beautiful tender act of love toward his son And his efforts were rewarded with a delightful smile from the baby boy nbsp The imagery of the father-son exchange bears a striking resemblance to the words of Zephaniah The Old Testament prophet says that God will joyfully sing [... more]

Detaching from the poor conduct of an impaired loved one remains one of the toughest challenges for family caregivers Sometimes the behavioral issues stem from chronic pain dementia pharmaceuticals or fear maybe they're just having a bad day Regardless of why we don't have to take it personally even if it sounds personal [... more]

Founder of Caregivers by Wholecare returns to the show to help share the new changes in home care services in light of the COVID- Technology is playing a huge role in how our seniors and impaired loved ones are cared for at home and Elizabeth brings her decades of experience to help unpack the new look of home care Learn more at - For Christmas this year give that gifts that speak fluent caregiver [... more]

Episode Adriel Sanchez and Bill Maier answer caller questions Show Notes CoreChristianity com How do I know without a doubt that a choice I am making is God's choice for me It really feels like I am talking and listening to a wall of the time I believe in the Trinity and in Jesus Christ but what confuses me is that the Bible also says that no one knows the day or hour of Jesus's return except for the Father If Jesus is God wouldn't he know Does the bible say anything about the mistreatment of wild or domestic animals [... more]

EVERY caregiver will at some point fall into the trap of beating themselves up without mercy If an impaired love one joins that chorus not to mention family members then how does a caregiver endure with ANY healthy self esteem We discussed this in today's episode www hopeforthecaregiver com [... more]

Joe and Cindi Ferrini recall the birth of their beautiful baby boy Joey some years ago First diagnosed with cerebral palsy they were later devastated to learn Joey was also mentally impaired The Ferrinis share how they emotionally processed Joey's disabilities as young parents and how they eventually came to love and celebrate Joey just as he is Show Notes and Resources Find resources from this podcast at https shop familylife com Products aspx categoryid Check out all that's available on the FamilyLife Podcast Network https www familylife com familylife-podcast-network Have the FamilyLife Today podcast and resources helped you Consider [... more]

There's still time for you as a caregiver to give yourself gifts From My Commentary in the Chicago Tribune For family caregivers the normal stresses and challenges experienced by most during the holiday season can be amplified exponentially Rather than enjoying the season many caring for chronically impaired loved ones settle for enduring the holidays Aside from family get-togethers that often present accessibility issues or other challenges there remain the usual medical difficulties extra shopping special meals and added pressure of making it special for others It may be our last time weighs heavy on the minds of many caregivers [... more]

Excerpt from HOPE FOR THE CAREGIVER on American Family Radio It's starting to dawn on a lot of us some of who are newer to this not so much but a lot of us have that realization Man this thing is not going to have the happy ending it's not going to have the happy ending that we want it's not going to get pretty In fact it's going to probably get worse And what do you do with that information What does hope look like in that And as I've struggled through these things and I've worked through these [... more]

TRANSCRIPT Alright we're talking about resentment today and a lot of folks deal with this issue It is a brutal issue that affects caregivers it cripples us it really does A lot of people think if I could just get so-and-so to stop acting this way then I can be okay and it's all going to be good But the problem is not the person we're taking care of the problem is ourselves and it starts with us We can learn to be at peace no matter what's going on around us and scripture confirms that throughout all of Scripture [... more]

Statistically speaking someone orbiting an impaired or hate-filled individual attends a church temple or mosque Rather than waiting and debating over what to do can we not appeal to our clergy who collectively interact and influence a massive number of citizens While politicians and pundits speak to and from green screens and platforms pastors speak to families in dire circumstances Parents siblings spouses or children struggling with the behavior of someone they love fill pews and kneeling benches across America As their spiritual needs receive ministering why not encourage clergy to quietly and privately ask if that loved one or [... more]

I'm going to swerve into something today that I've been stewing on for a while That's how we started the July show and we tackled families struggling with addiction alcoholism I said to a young man recently Honour thy father and thy mother Exodus DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO HONOR THE IMPAIRMENT When dealing with an addiction issue family members all too often and sadly place themselves in bondage trying to enable The disease of addiction is a family disease and will take everyone with it if allowed Alzheimer's has no mercy and will crush everyone around an impaired [... more]

Holidays can be difficult for so many caregivers Valentine's Day is one that brings an even deeper pain for caregivers of an impaired loved one who no longer recognizes them or can participate in the relationship In our show's Caregiver Tip of the Day segment sponsored by AARP of TN here is a way that those caregivers can honor that special love [... 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]