🔃 💬 🕙 Round and round we go... 🕝 💭 🔃
Greetings ,
When I was a budding professional, Wednesday was introduced as a good excuse to hit the local pub after work. Wednesdays are half-way to the new weekend, aka "hump day." These days, with a caregiver's mindset, I find it far too easy to get lost in the daily tasks, finding a time to break seems a distant option at best.
Of course that's where the Caregiver Space comes in, streaming articles & information to inspire and affirm your work day after day after day... when you only have a moment to spare. (Scroll down; click away. The links and previews of selected posts fall just after this intro.)
To point: our first feature this week is all about preventing emotional fatigue as a caregiver. That's preview number one below this intro. Second on the docket is the recent number crunching that shoes the Affordable Care Act has streamlined the access to Medicaid services in states that have taken up the task. That's preview number two below.
This week we're also super excited to relaunch the first of our focused chats. The chat feature for the past year has been a simple open forum and clearly hit or miss for the demanding caregiver schedule. Our regular blogger and author of the "Because of Annie" series, Bob Harrison hosts the Spousal Care Chats every Tuesday evening, 10pm Eastern (9 Central, 8pm Pacific time). This is a real time chat where you can vent or dig a little deeper with fellow caregivers. In turn, we'll leave the chat history live through the weekend for folks who can't "tune in" at the appointed hour.. You can read through the discussion and share the sentiments and sharing whenever you have time in the week
And keep scrolling here to see the link and entry to our Poem Prompt in the forums... One of our most recent Instagram "Care Cards" as well as a best sample from the past weeks flowing stream of our Facebook page. Each of these is a place to spark your feelings as well as your creativity.
Come on in, connect with your fellow caregivers, and begin to get a little something back share the wealth of your experiences.
In the spirit of caregiving,,
Paul Nocera
Director, Community Engagement
Paul@theCaregiverSpace.org
Preventing Compassion Fatigue is up to You
Compassion fatigue is a weariness of body and spirit, caused by the never-ending demands of caregiving. This form of burnout can come on quickly, and before you know it, you feel like you’ve hit the wall. You may even wonder if you can continue to be a caregiver. There are steps you can take to alleviate the symptoms of compassion fatigue. Your goal is to stop compassion fatigue before it stops you..
Post on February 15, 2016 by Harriet Hodgson
States Simplify Medicaid Sign-Ups
Getting on Medicaid has never been so easy.
In the past two years, 31 states and the District of Columbia have expanded eligibility for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, but even more have simplified sign-ups and renewals, according to a 50-state survey released Thursday.
Post on February 12, 2016 by Kaiser Health News
The return of our focused chats has begun. Our regular blogger and author of "Because of Annie", Bob Harrison, hosts the Spousal Care Chats every Tuesday evening.
We'll leave up the chat through the weekend for folks who can't "tune in" at the appointed hour.. you can read through the discussion and share the sentiments and sharing though the week
Every Tuesday evening. 10pm EST (9pm Central, 8pm PST) using out Chat Feature.
Is it better not to dwell
on the negative?
Ignore Your Feelings.
A profanity-filled new self-help book argues that life is kind of terrible, so you should value your actions over your emotions..
By Olga Khazan · reposted from The Atlantic· Feb 15, 2016
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February's Focus is...
One way caregivers can spark introspection, is by answering simple questions.
Answer these questions as your “reply” or comment below… but don’t repeat the question.
The result, your answers, create a personal poem…
I need to wash my hair
And take a shower
But here I sit
Enjoying this quiet hour
I need to put up Meds
And tidy up the room
But I cherish this time
To just be me
There will be plenty to do
Very soon
Posted February 3, 2016 by Theresa L
When I Became the Primary Caregiver of My Brother on the Autism Spectrum
During the past few years, Mom and Dad’s work responsibilities increased. Since John and I are so close, I became John’s primary caregiver. My responsibilities also include helping John with his college classes. At first, this arrangement was beneficial to all. Then, I started to struggle between balancing John’s needs and wants with my own obligations, needs and wants. Saying no to John started to become more difficult due to the lack of time Mom and Dad could spend with John, if I was available.
By Justina Bonilla, posted to theMighty.com, Feb 10, 2016