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At the End of Caregiving

For every caregiver, the day will arrive when caregiving comes to an end.  Most of us can’t know when that day will come. Because of this, caregiving often seems endless, but it is not.

Some of us are able to accept that the end is coming sooner or later. The couple in this video are planning for the time when he will be gone, and she will be alone.  Senior co-housing is one option for companionship and support for the spouse that is left behind.

Weighing the Options from Our Future Selves on Vimeo.

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Technorati Tags: afraid, aging in place, Brave Old World, caregiver mental health, caregiver needs, caregiver stress, co-housing, coping with death, Elder Spirit, end of life, end of life decisions, family caregiver, pain of caregiving, Paula Span. Columbia University School of Journalism

Holidays 2011

Holiday Moods

The holidays have not been as sad this year.  We are farther away from the deaths of Audrey and Frank, Carol and Judi’s parents.  Judi is facing health problems, but Carol and her son and daughter are doing well.  We spent Christmas with them.  We saw a good concert and a good movie, along with good food and gifts.

This is my first holiday season since I retired.  I have not been home for the entire holiday season for about 30 years.  I worked in water treatment, which meant shift work.  I worked days, nights, weekends, and holidays.  I was never home for the entire holiday stretch.  I worked 12 hour shifts, so my time to spend with family was limited by the need to rest before the next shift.  I …

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Sisterhood and Brain Health for Recovering Caregivers

Once we got our new iPad email working and used the Photo Booth app to take some funny pictures of ourselves, we wondered what to do next with our intriguing Little Buddy.  The problem is not a scarcity of possibilities.  According to official Apple sources, there are over 140,000 iPad apps available—many of them free.  Too many to sort through on our own.

No problem.  Sister Judi–an iPhone owner and aficionado—to the rescue.  She undertook to coach me in advanced techniques of using the “Home” button and also suggested a few challenging and enlightening apps.  High on our list are Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja.  I also learned that she is the creator of her own app—Smart Tot Rattle!

Her next move was to challenge me to a game of Words with Friends.

I’m …

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Caregiving and Cleaning the Oven

The house still smells slightly of smoke this morning.  Bill and I were in the middle of paying bills yesterday when we decided to clean the oven.  I’m not sure why.  Maybe anything seemed preferable to tackling this month’s especially complicated credit card statement.

First there was an intensive search for the stove’s Use and Care Manual.  It seemed only to be expected that I could locate all the literature on every large appliance we own except the stove.  Eventually, after Bill found the stove’s model number, we tracked down the manual on line and printed it out.  The instructions were deceptively simple—close the door, push the “clean” button, set the time and the stove does all the rest.

Bill grabbed the oven shelves while I emptied the warming drawer and wiped out the …

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More on Retirement Transition

Last week I wrote about the trouble I am having in transitioning into retirement.  I have to say more, because Carol is becoming impatient with me hanging around the house.  I had a job interview today for another part-time job to fill in until work at Four Mile Historic Park picks up.

My problem is with transitions.  Persons with ADD typically have this problem and I can confirm that is a big deal.  I like to think that I am somewhat self-aware, but when the transitions come, I seem to sink into a near unconscious level. I can talk about taking action, even doing some things, but the overall picture seems to slip away and much of my energy goes into doing things like playing Angry Birds on the I Pad.

A am usually …

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