From A MINUTE FOR CAREGIVERS - When Every Day Feels Like Monday Several pilots I know express a standard command often given to less experienced pilots Work the problem and fly the plane The context involves pilots who fixate on a problem like a storm console light or other issues Riveting one's eyes on a single point to the exclusion of the bigger picture can quickly result in disastrous outcomes particularly when piloting an aircraft Locking in on one issue while dangerously losing perspective is not exclusive to pilots Caregivers frequently spiral out of control while arguing with an impairment [... more]

From A MINUTE FOR CAREGIVERS- When Every Day Feels Like Monday Playing for Chickens There's an old story of a farmer who struggled to find ways to help his chickens lay more eggs After trying numerous techniques he heard of the beneficial effects of music and tried playing the flute for his chickens to help them lay more eggs Sitting beside the coop he diligently spent hours at a time performing beautiful songs in hopes of providing a better egg-laying environment After doing this for several weeks he noticed the number of eggs never changed Although tempted to be discouraged [... more]

A Path Through the Storm When storms loom media outlets often show footage of people placing plywood on homes and businesses and hunkering down Caregiving is its own storm Although sometimes receiving advance notice caregiving can often descend like a tornado and last a lifetime If cameras followed caregivers many daily activities might resemble the frantic bustle of those boarding homes and businesses Imagine trying to build a five-year plan while simultaneously working to survive a hurricane Incredulously many caregivers regularly attempt such a feat While the aftermath of hurricanes usually brings clearer skies that allow rebuilding the lengthy caregiving [... more]