A Note From Carol
Dear friends,
For most of us, the holidays are a mixed blessing. The
spirit of giving has always been a huge part of the
atmosphere. This year, it's more challenging to keep
that spirit alive, as the economy has affected so many
of us. We may have to get more creative about giving.
And then, of course, there is the time element. Being
pressed for time can bring out the curmudgeonly side
of even the most cheerful among us.
Oh - and the relatives. Yes, some of us are blessed
with siblings who are our best friends, parents whom
we love dearly, and helpful children. However,
many of us have more complicated family
arrangements than the typical Normal Rockwell
Christmas may suggest.
And then, of course, there's the challenge of a parent
with dementia. Do we bring Mom home from the
memory center to be with the family, thus risking her
agitation and confusion and unwittingly making her
miserable? Or do we do our best for her at the
memory center, and then rush back to celebrate a
family meal with our children and other loved ones?
This holiday season brings many challenges that can
cloud the true meaning of the season.In order to keep
the season spiritual, we may have to actually take
time to be spiritual. That could mean
taking time to accept our circumstances as they are,
being grateful for things we're not too sure we're
grateful for and looking for lessons buried in difficult
times so we can count those times as blessings.
Through it all, I do believe caregivers always
prevail. We've learned to cope with the challenge of
imperfection in the daily routine of caregiving. The
lessons we've learned have given us wisdom to draw
on during this holiday season. And we've learned that
we can also draw on the strength and wisdom of other
caregivers. Sharing the load lightens it. Sharing the joy
multiplies it.
So to you all, my caring friends, have a wonderful
holiday season. When you stumble on imperfection,
talk to a fellow caregiver and accept it as fact. When
you have tips to share and joy to spread, pass it on.
Helping each other is in keeping with the true
meaning of the holiday season.
Blessings,
Carol
Quick Links...
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Hello!
Welcome to Minding Our Elders! Our hope is to break
the isolation that caregivers often feel. We'd also like
to share ideas, comfort and information that will help
you along your caregiving journey. Finally, we'll be
adding some articles on health and even travel for
caregivers, boomers and seniors. Thanks for reading.
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Making Time for Memories
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We all have memories of holidays, some wonderful
and timeless, some disappointing. However, as long
as we are alive, we'll be adding to that memory bank.
What better way to add to those memories than being
intentional about how we spend those precious
moments?
Kathy Killpatrick is a communications specialist and
her December newsletter about making time for
memories showcases her skills beautifully. I can't see
a better way to put this idea in the spotlight than to
send you to Kathy's page for a lesson on memory
making.
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High Fat Diet May Add to Alzheimer's Risk
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Diet and Alzheimer's are sharing the news again. This
time, ScienceDaily is running a story titled, "High-fat
Diet Could Promote Development Of Alzheimer's
Disease," which links diets rich in animal fat to
Alzheimer's disease.
A team of researchers has shown, "that the main
neurological markers for Alzheimer's disease are
exacerbated in the brains of mice fed a diet rich in
animal fat and poor in omega-3s.
I wrote about Omega-3 fatty acids in the post
titled, "More Encouraging Research on Fish and
Healthy Brains." That study showed the beneficial
effects of fish oil on the heart and brain.
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Sign Up For Ask Medicare Newsletter
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Whether for parents, yourself or your spouse, staying
up-to-date on Medicare issues is smart. With
Medicare D plan enrollments a part of every "holiday
season," it's more important than ever to stay in touch.
I highly recommend that you sign up. Scan the issue,
and if there's nothing for you, there's always the delete
button. But, at least, you'll know you aren't missing out
on important information. You'll like the new caregiving
site, anyway, so you may as well get the newsletter as
a reminder to check in.
The November/December issue covers:
- 2009 Part B Premiums Holding Steady
- Medicare Covers Flu Shots - Free!
- Are You Ready for Nov. 15 Open Enrollment?
- Free Caregiver Support from AoA
- Does Your Doctor e-Prescribe?
- 4 Ways to Prevent Falls
You'll enjoy other good information on the new
caregiving site from Medicare as well.
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Inside Assisted Living Great New Resource
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Inside Assisted Living is a wonderful new blog that
has evolved into a reource far greater than I would
have envisioned.
Whether you are wondering about signing documents
or making a new home welcoming to your elder,
Inside Assisted Living will give you some ideas.
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Engage With Grace Provides Valuable Tool for End-of-Life Discussion
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In many ways I was fortunate as I made decisions
about my parents deaths. My mother's sister and her
husband were ten years older than my parents. They
came out to the prairie to live near us, their only family,
as aging and health problems took over their lives.
We helped them through the death process. During
this time, my parents made out wills and Durable
Powers of Attorney for health and for money matters,
for themselves. They saw the writing on the wall, so to
speak, and finally got it done.
During this time, we as a family also had many talks
about quality of life over quantity of life. I never had a
doubt about what my parents wanted done, or not
done, as their own lives slowly drifted to an end.
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About Carol
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Caregiving expert Carol Bradley Bursack, Author,
speaker and columnist, presents a collection of
articles, stories, news and research for you to
browse. Please check the blog and Web site links for
more information and feel free to email Carol at
carol@mindingourelders.com to chat or ask
questions. Minding Our Elders is a registered
trademark.
If your group or organization would like to buy "Minding
Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories"
in bulk, please email carol@mindingourelders.com
for information.
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