I actually heard this idea while at the hairdresser and thought it was simply brilliant!
The woman who came up with this idea has an elderly mother still able to live in her own home but only with the assistance of different caregivers on various shifts during the week. Her mother has dementia so in order to keep track of the front door key from shift to shift, the woman’s daughter attached a lock box to the front door. After they are hired, the caregivers are given the combination for the lock box in which the key is kept. Upon arrival for their shift, they get the key out of the lock box and when their shift is over, they replace the key. Voila! No issues on where the front door key is or who has it!
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The winner of the contest we ran the last few weeks in honor of National Family Caregivers Month was drawn randomly from the entries received. Thank you to all who participated!!
And the winner is (drumroll please) . . . Shiela!
We will send you an email today, Shiela, to get the mailing address you want your prize sent to.
To continue our celebration of and gratitude for all caregivers during National Family Caregivers Month 2009, TLeC is holding it’s very first contest!
It is open to all caregivers, families employing caregivers, and/or eldercare professionals in the U.S.A.
It starts November 16, 2009 and all entries must be received no later than 6pm PST on November 29, 2009. The one (1) winner will be chosen at random and announced here on November 30, 2009. Prize will be shipped to the winner by TLeC.
How to Enter: Sign up for the TLeC Newsletter in the top right hand section of this page, under the blue headline “Get More Caregiving Tips from Tender Loving Eldercare!” Type in your name and email address, click on the “Sign Me Up” button, and complete the one last step of clicking on the link in the confirmation email that will be delivered instantly to your inbox. That final step is important — it both completes your newsletter sign up and also enters you into the contest. That’s all you have to do! Easy Peasy!
What Can You Win?
The prize is a wonderful DVD set called “Toe-Tapping Songs” created by Darlene Hamby, a music specialist in the eldercare field. The set centers around a collection of 20 songs to sing along to. They are all “feel good” tunes, and caregivers, seniors (or Golden Oldies as I like to call them) and their families will enjoy them. It consists of a DVD of a music session, with Darlene playing the piano and singing with senior citizens, and also includes six sing-along song books. Inside the song books, you will find one page dedicated to each song containing the lyrics in LARGE PRINT and a photo to match the song’s theme. It is packaged in a compact binder which is both easy to store and easy to travel with.
Darlene’s love of both music and Golden Oldies shines through as she sings and plays the piano on this DVD. I’ve had the pleasure of participating in one of her live music sessions and I’m sure people of all ages will enjoy having their own sing-alongs with Darlene via this DVD. This set can be used to create fun music sessions during family gatherings or in an assisted living facility’s activity program. It will be a big hit over and over again in either setting!
Here is a preview of the prize:
DVD Sing-Along Music Set
Sample of a Song Page
Toe-Tapping Songs Table of Contents
So get your entries in now! And please feel free to tell others about this contest in your caregiving world as well! Thanks!
National Family Caregivers Month is about celebrating and showing our gratitude for family caregivers, both near and far. It is our chance to publicly or privately shine the spotlight on these wonderfully giving individuals.
Here is an excerpt from President Obama’s Proclamation about National Family Caregivers Month, 2009:
The true strength of the American family finds its roots in an unwavering commitment to care for one another. In difficult times, Americans come together to ensure our loved ones are comfortable and safe. Whether caring for a parent, relative, or child, our Nation’s caregivers selflessly devote their time and energy to the well-being of those they look after. During National Family Caregivers Month, we honor the individuals providing essential services to family members who could not otherwise look after themselves . . . . I encourage all Americans to pay tribute and support those who are caring for their family members, friends, and neighbors in need of assistance.
What You Can Do
If you know a caregiver, please take time to thank them for all they are doing for their care recipients(s). And then take it a step further and ask what you can do for them — whether it be pampering them (manicure, pedicure, massage, hair salon appointment?), doing errands or chores for them, and or providing them with some needed time away (also known as respite) from their responsibilities to enjoy themselves in whatever way they so choose.
And what would be even better is to continue this practice all year round — not just this month.
Opportunities to Win Prizes for Caregivers this Month
TENA, an incontinence care company, asked me to announce its first “Caregivers Night Out” sweepstakes.
From October 19th to November 30th, 2009, caregivers from all over the nation can enter to win $100 to spend on an evening out at their favorite Olive Garden ® or Outback Steakhouse ® family of restaurants. Over forty winners from across the U.S. will be announced on November 30th.
To enter the contest caregivers should visit TENA’s site and share a tip or piece of advice about caregiving with others, which may be featured in future TENA email blasts or on their web site. With over 54 years of experience, TENA is the worldwide leader in the management of incontinence, providing products and services for individuals and healthcare service providers in over 90 countries.
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If you are on Facebook there is another contest where you can win a prize for a special caregiver in your life!
Become a Facebook Fan of Care.com and write on their wall about your “Care Hero.” By doing so you automatically enter your caregiver into their contest to win him or her a night out worth $500.
Care.com will select three Finalists each week in November. Each Finalist will receive a $100 dining gift certificate and each Finalist’s nominator will receive a free 3-month membership to Care.com. (Editor’s Note: The first week’s Finalists have already been selected, so enter ASAP to enter for the remaining two weeks of judging.)
At the end of the month, Care.com will select one Grand Prize Winner from among the 12 Finalists. The Grand Prize Winner will receive:
$500 in dining, entertainment, and hotel gift certificates
A bag of goodies from Care.com
The Grand Prize Winner’s nominator will receive a $100 dining gift certificate and a bag of goodies
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Forward this post on now to any caregivers you know or to the families of care recipients so they can enter the contests during National Family Caregivers Month. Please let me know if you hear of other contests like these going on in November so I can let the TLeC community know about them, too. Thank you!
This story by an unknown author was published on the internet and a dear friend shared it with me. You’ll like it even if you don’t have a dog, and you may even decide you need one.
I dedicate it to the many loving caregivers in the world — past, present and future.
Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named ‘Lucky.’ Lucky was a real
character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit
they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because
Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably,
someone would forget and something would come up missing.
Mary or Jim would go to Lucky’s toy box in the basement and there the
treasure would be, amid all of Lucky’s other favorite toys. Lucky
always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular
that his toys stay in the box.
It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told
her she was going to die of this disease . . . in fact, she was just
sure it was fatal.
She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders. The
night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A
thought struck her . . . what would happen to Lucky? Although the
three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary’s dog through and through.
If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won’t understand
that I didn’t want to leave him. The thought made her sadder than
thinking of her own death.
The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had
anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took
Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just
drooped, whining and miserable.
Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived
home , Mary was so exhausted she couldn’t even make it up the steps to
her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her
to nap. Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn’t come to her when she
called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.
When Mary woke for a second she couldn’t understand what was wrong.
She couldn’t move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic
soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was
covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned! While
she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the
basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in
life. He had covered her with his love.
Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living again,
walking further and further together every day. It’s been 12 years now
and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky? He still steals treasures and
stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.
Remember . . . live every day to the fullest. Each minute is a blessing
from God. And never forget . . . the people who make a difference in our
lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or
the most awards. They are the ones that care for us!
Today is my birthday and I couldn’t think of a better gift to myself than to return to blogging at TenderLovingEldercare.com. Thank you again for all of your messages, cards, emails and letters of condolence and support over the last six weeks. My family and I deeply appreciate them!
Am I an Orphan?
Since my mom died in May a few people have remarked that I am now an “orphan.” I probably never would have thought about myself this way if they hadn’t mentioned it to me.
Per the Merriam-Webster.com dictionary definition of an orphan, I suppose I am one:a child deprived by death of one or usually both parents. Even though I am definitely not a child, I was always a child in my parents’ eyes, no matter how old I was. So, technically, I could be considered an orphan, since both of my parents have died.
The Most Famous Orphan in Pop Culture
As I ruminated further on this idea, who should pop into my head?
Little Orphan Annie!
In case you live on the other side of the world, and aren’t familiar with her, here is a YouTube video from the 1982 movie musical “Annie,” so you can get acquainted:
[If you have trouble viewing this video, click here.]
First off the bat, in no way do I resemble her, in this classic portrayal! I do not have red, curly hair. I am not a little girl. And while I do love to dance, I definitely can’t sing!! (My husband says the only Singer in our house is a sewing machine! LOL)
But there are some similarities between Annie and me: I am short , my middle name is spelled A-n-n-e (OK, it’s not pronounced Annie but it’s close) and I do my darnedest to keep a positive mental attitude under all circumstances.
Here are the lyrics for “Tomorrow” written by Martin Charnin (music by Charles Strouse):
The sun’ll come out
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow
There’ll be sun!
Just thinkin’ about
Tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs,
And the sorrow
‘Til there’s none!
When I’m stuck with a day
That’s gray,
And lonely,
I just stick out my chin
And Grin,
And Say,
Oh!
The sun’ll come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on
‘Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I love ya Tomorrow!
You’re always
A day
A way!
As I listened to the song and then read the lyrics, not only do the words resonate with me on a personal level, but all caregivers, family or professional, could use these words as a caregiving “anthem.” While acknowledging the difficulty of the day, the song gives us hope that tomorrow will be a better day, and that we “gotta hang on!” Can’t every caregiver relate to these basic feelings?
My Questions for You
What do you think of this song becoming the Caregivers Anthem? Is there another song that helps you get through a tough day of caregiving?
If both of your parents have died, do you think of yourself as an orphan?
Please share your thoughts below.
Now it’s off for some birthday fun and cheer with family and friends . . .
Stay tuned to TLeC for another interview with a family caregiver coming soon!
And last but not least, it feels great to be back!
Here are five quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr. that “spoke” to me as a caregiver. Do you relate to them, too? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?”
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Everyone has the power of greatness. Not for fame, but greatness. Because greatness is determined by service.
************************* The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
************************* We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.
************************* We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.
First I want to thank all of the wonderful participants in the TLeC survey for your time, votes and many kind comments. You gave me much food for thought, and I am grateful for the honesty of your feedback.
The Results
The overall format of this blog won’t change radically in the coming year. I will continue to bring you a mixture of “how-to” information about caregiving, inspirational quotes, and the ever-popular Funny Fridays to keep us all laughing. I will be adding more interviews with family caregivers, like the one I did with Lori Hoeck a few months ago. (If you are currently a family caregiver and would like to be interviewed for this blog, please use the contact form above.)
I will also be writing more about some of the very real concerns you shared with me, such as:
Juggling time commitments between our families and our caregiving responsibilities,
Being prepared to handle unexpected health or financial issues our Golden Oldies face,
How to avoid making caregiving “mistakes”
Sharing caregiving responsibilities with siblings
Being a long-distance family caregiver
And answers to many more caregiving questions you raised in the survey.
I know it will be a busy and exciting year ahead for us! Thank you for your loyal readership and participation in the TLeC community!
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