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WHAT IS

Caregiving

OUT LOUD?

 

Caregiving OUT LOUD

Caregiving OUT LOUD is a digital magazine for family caregivers who are currently caregiving, past caregivers integrating the loss of a loved one and future caregivers who understand the need for planning ahead. It’s also for anyone who knows a caregiver and wants to stay engaged, but perhaps doesn’t know how. But most of all, Caregiving OUT LOUD is a standing invitation for everyone to share their experience, whatever it is. A place to learn, grow, express what you are feeling and share what you have learned. 

WHY DID I CREATE IT?

Seventeen years ago, my father died of Alzheimer’s ...

I had taken care of him for 15 years. Throughout those years, I was lost, overwhelmed, and I ultimately lost everything I owned. At the time, there was nothing organized to teach me what I was supposed to do. And friends, as much as they wanted to help, felt increasingly uncomfortable having little to offer as the years went by. 

This is Diana, Hospice Nurse 

Diana experienced the same feelings of isolation when caregiving her husband, who also had  Alzheimer’s.Diana worked in my father’s unit and dealt with these issues every day. Her husband, whom she cared for, was a doctor. But even for the professionals, when it's personal, evryone is vulnerable to the same challenges. Diana was not exempt from the same emotions as the rest of us.

Diana was with me in the beginning, volunteering in early days, as I tried to get my arms around this caregiving monster to tame it. She kept me company and I cooked for her. We spent many hours talking about the challenges caregivers face, while she was still facing them every day. We were in different stages of grief looking for a way to make it count. 

Her husband was a Colonel in the army as well as a doctor, so whnen he passed, she buried him at Arlington in Washington D. C. evn though she lived in Atlanta. 

even though we haven't seen each other in over 10 years, she will always be my dear friend. 

Thank You Diana.

By the time my father died, I had gained 50 pounds, had become prediabetic, depressed and rarely went out of the house accept to get toilet tissue and paper towels from Costco. 

I began to write. A journal turned into a book, which turned into a course for other caregivers, which then turned into an end-to-end planning and management system for long-term care. I was determined to make sure that no one else would have to go through what I went through. 

The “Give Back” Program

Diana’s story is not unique. I discovered along the way how uncomfortable it is even for good friends to stay in touch. No one knows what to do or what to say because there is nothing they can do or say that will change things. That’s why, over time, caregivers find themselves alone and isolated.

Without a word you can bridge that gap and let a caregiver know that they are not forgotten. You could turn their whole day around and maybe even their whole week with a simple gesture.

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Table of Contents

WHAT IS

Caregiving

OUT LOUD?

 

Caregiving OUT LOUD

Caregiving OUT LOUD is a digital magazine for family caregivers who are currently caregiving, past caregivers integrating the loss of a loved one and future caregivers who understand the need for planning ahead. It’s also for anyone who knows a caregiver and wants to stay engaged, but perhaps doesn’t know how. But most of all, Caregiving OUT LOUD is a standing invitation for everyone to share their experience, whatever it is. A place to learn, grow, express what you are feeling and share what you have learned. 

WHY DID I CREATE IT?

Seventeen years ago, my father died of Alzheimer’s ...

I had taken care of him for 15 years. Throughout those years, I was lost, overwhelmed, and I ultimately lost everything I owned. At the time, there was nothing organized to teach me what I was supposed to do. And friends, as much as they wanted to help, felt increasingly uncomfortable having little to offer as the years went by. 

This is Diana, Hospice Nurse 

Diana experienced the same feelings of isolation when caregiving her husband, who also had  Alzheimer’s.Diana worked in my father’s unit and dealt with these issues every day. Her husband, whom she cared for, was a doctor. But even for the professionals, when it's personal, evryone is vulnerable to the same challenges. Diana was not exempt from the same emotions as the rest of us.

Diana was with me in the beginning, volunteering in early days, as I tried to get my arms around this caregiving monster to tame it. She kept me company and I cooked for her. We spent many hours talking about the challenges caregivers face, while she was still facing them every day. We were in different stages of grief looking for a way to make it count. 

Her husband was a Colonel in the army as well as a doctor, so whnen he passed, she buried him at Arlington in Washington D. C. evn though she lived in Atlanta. 

even though we haven't seen each other in over 10 years, she will always be my dear friend. 

Thank You Diana.

By the time my father died, I had gained 50 pounds, had become prediabetic, depressed and rarely went out of the house accept to get toilet tissue and paper towels from Costco. 

I began to write. A journal turned into a book, which turned into a course for other caregivers, which then turned into an end-to-end planning and management system for long-term care. I was determined to make sure that no one else would have to go through what I went through. 

The “Give Back” Program

Diana’s story is not unique. I discovered along the way how uncomfortable it is even for good friends to stay in touch. No one knows what to do or what to say because there is nothing they can do or say that will change things. That’s why, over time, caregivers find themselves alone and isolated.

Without a word you can bridge that gap and let a caregiver know that they are not forgotten. You could turn their whole day around and maybe even their whole week with a simple gesture.

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