


Harriet Hodgson’s The Family Caregiver’s Guide coming on September 7th
Author Harriet Hodgson offers guidance for family caregivers in her new book “The Family Caregiver’s Guide” Rochester, MN- Becoming the primary caregiver for a family member can be a daunting and exhausting task, but readers can find comfort, guidance, and help in...
Wishes, hope, and joy: One 17 year old’s birthday wish
Can you remember how you spent your 17th birthday? Maybe a family party at your house or a movie with friends? For Kodi from Battlefield, MO, his 17th birthday marked a different milestone, one which would shape his life, impact his family and ultimately make him a...
3 people tell us how much their caregivers mean to them
Peg Steinberg Peg talks with her son, Dan, about how her children cared for her during her lengthy struggle with cancer. Shasti O’Leary-Soudant Shasti talks about her husband’s devotion helped her survive Hodgkin’s disease. Doris Cohen Doris tells...How does sharing your story help you (and others)?
Ways that sharing your careving story helps

The true meaning of the word “plateau”
My husband’s aorta dissected in 2013 and he was rapidly bleeding to death. The health care team gave him transfusion after transfusion, to no avail. Surgeons operated on him three times in an attempt to stop the bleeding. During the third operation he had a spinal...
“I’m not used to being disabled yet.”
Two years ago my husband’s aorta dissected. He was literally bleeding to death and Mayo Clinic surgeons operated on him three times in a desperate attempt to save his life. During the third operation my husband had a spinal stroke that paralyzed his legs. The surgeons...
Easing the struggle of adult incontinence for caregivers AND patients
When I moved my mother into a fully skilled nursing home, I asked the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) if I could watch her change my mother’s diapers (briefs, as they are known in the industry). I knew I might have to do it myself one day. I gasped at the indignant...
Headaches? It might be caregiver burnout
Headaches & facial pain caused by emotional distress Case Study: Joan* Joan was referred to my office due to her daily headaches and facial pain that had continued to get worse despite taking over-the-counter medication on a daily basis and treating herself to a...
Managing caregiver’s guilt
February 13, 2014. The day I became a caregiver. That was the day Jeff came home following nearly seven months spent in three hospitals after his spinal cord injury. Of course I had been preparing for my role of caregiver for months. The nurses, therapists, and staff...
Looking back: our top 14 Caregiver Stories for 2014
The Caregiver Space is where we can gain strength and support through sharing our stories and reading about others’ experiences. As 2014 draws to a close, we take this opportunity to highlight posts from our Caregivers Stories series that you may have...
Meet Portia A.
Who is a caregiver? Nearly 1/3 of Americans serve as family caregivers and millions more serve as paid professional caregivers. The Caregiver Space is sharing their stories. Portia A. Who am I? I am 42 years old. I’m a single parent of one adult son. I take care...
Starting Chemotherapy
by Bob Harrison, author of Because of Annie Many of you know Bob from our Communities and Facebook page. He has generously agreed to share excerpts of his deeply moving book, Because of Annie, with the community. In this chapter, Bob recalls the experience of starting...
What Caregiving Taught Me
I was left to pick up the pieces of our lives. I was a single mother, jobless, broke, in debt, and with a son in private school.
Finding Hope in Pink Slippers
Amy Bovaird suffers from Retinitis Pigmentosa, a progressive vision disorder. Yet she is the primary caregiver for her aging mother.
Journaling, What’s the Use for Caregivers? Freedom, Perhaps.
The payoffs of journaling is pure freedom, which gives profoundly beneficial stress relief, as it is one activity the caregiver may perform their way.

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