Yup, that’s exactly how you feel. Forget sucking it up! Try some real tips and tools based in lived experience so you stop feeling like a burnt-out triple-decker grilled cheese sandwich. Your courageous advocate Carol-Ann says it like it is. And that’s no bologna!
Remember the Baby Boomer couple with three simultaneous difficult aging parent situations? If the second father were still alive, they’d probably be dealing with him, too.
Well, there’s more! What did I tell you? It’s always something when you’re running the ceaseless eldercare marathon.Read More
Let me briefly describe this Baby Boomer couple. In his seventies, he has a 95-year-old mother and is largely responsible for her despite having a sister. In her sixties, my only-child friend has a mother aged 81; her father is 83. While having no children together, he has a son and daughter in their thirties.
In one 24-hour period alone, ALL three parents faced serious health crises. Two were emergencies! In my experience, their woes are typical of those in the Sandwich Generation. And, their plight is about to become a whole lot worse.Read More
So, there we were – a group of friends joyfully gathered to celebrate birthdays across a leisurely summer’s afternoon and evening. It was a picture-perfect day. The balmy air was glorious on the skin. A welcome old-tree canopy offered cooling breezes in contrast to the sun’s brilliance.
Everyone was laughing and carrying on until one of us received…The Parental Call…Read More
There I was at my local Post Office.
I wasn’t even representing my mother or father; both have passed away. Rather, I was striving to perform a simple Change of Address update on my own behalf. Though successful, I remain incredulous over what it took to accomplish a SINGLE short and easy procedure.Read More
Could you relate at all to my last post on the horrific eldercare hospital crisis? I’m certain more than one of you could.
Can you stomach another medical example? They’re truly rich and ripe for the picking.
Then, allow me to recount this story about how a carefully-orchestrated procedure unravelled. Remember, we’re still in the series about not deluding yourself that your trials have ended once aging folks are located in a facility of some sort.Read More
Picking up where we left off… “It ain’t over till it’s over”, as Yogi Berra legendarily used to say…
Here is a 48-hour tale about the medical crisis of a friend’s mother-in-law who resides in the Independent Living section of an assisted-living facility. When you’re finished reading this harrowing tale, tell me if you still believe you’re “done” once your aging parent is housed in a residence of some sort!Read More
How are you surviving this latest holiday period – replete as it can be with re-surfaced quarrels of old as well as new sources of strife?
I was recently reminded at a networking function held in a retirement facility that families may even use their beautiful dining room to host seasonal gatherings. How helpful when aging relatives find it increasingly difficult to join the traditional Christmas table at home. I will even acknowledge it’s less likely for a small spat to erupt into a full-blown fight in such a pleasant setting.
Still, I hope you don’t imagine that just because Mom and/or Dad are housed in a care residence of some sort that this marks the end of your eldercare woes!Read More
Canadians recently celebrated Thanksgiving while American festivities wait until November’s end. My U.S. friends are often surprised over how early our occasion takes place.
Either way, I find Thanksgiving a real marker in the calendar. From back-to-school to now and then onto Halloween plus the holiday season, time will feel like a blink for so many cultures around the world.
No matter where your family-of-origin is located, don’t you find such festivals rife with the potential for feuds even under the guise of lovingly coming together? How about we look upon the fall harvest meal as “practice” for the even-bigger year-end celebrations to come?Read More
Today is the third anniversary of my father’s Memorial Service. Wow.
Three years later, I can immediately summon who was present – and who was not. Both groupings of people seem equally important to me. Yes, there is no finer moment in life to discern who is TRULY “there” for you than navigating the transitions associated with an elder’s passing – especially that of an Un-cope-able Parent.
As I see it, there are three points of distinction and/or decision-making you will be called upon to make.Read More
Last week, children returned to classrooms everywhere – youngsters and high school aged alike. University students flooded back to their campuses; many left home for the first time in 17 or 18 years.
Though the summer period offered a refreshing respite from school buses and traffic (LOL), it’s now oddly welcoming to see them trotting back and forth out my window morning and afternoon. I suspect this is due to how embedded “back-to-school” is within North American and other cultures.
That got me thinking… How can we harness this reinvigorated post-vacation energy to “sharpen the pencil” on our eldercare interactions? Here are three considerations.Read More
