Reading Time: < 1 minute I’m back! Well, I didn’t actually go anywhere but time has flown by, and I unintentionally took a sabbatical from writing as my last post […]
Fear, Fatigue, and Failure
Reading Time: < 1 minute Here is my latest article for lifeeffects.teva. I tried to explore the principle worries that cause caregivers to be in a constant state of anxiety. […]
A Plan to Help Family Caregivers
Reading Time: 5 minutes There are many initiatives underway across the nation to help family caregivers. They range from expanding insurance coverage to paying a stipend to the caregiver […]
Good Riddance to 2021
Reading Time: 3 minutes My end of year post has several purposes not least of which is to say, good riddance to 2021. I’m happy to see it go! […]
5 Tips to Get The Most From Your Doctor
Reading Time: < 1 minute My most recent article published by lifeeffects.teva gives you 5 tips to get the most from your doctor as a caregiver. Effectively communicating with your […]
There Are These Moments…
Reading Time: 4 minutes Most of the time, since arriving back home in mid-2107, J has been sleepy, quiet, and expressionless, but then there are these moments! Moments reminiscent […]
Regaining Independence
Reading Time: 4 minutes J’s disabilities turned out to be worse and more long-lasting than initially thought and regaining independence in any activity has been challenging for her. I’m […]
Building a Better Caregiver
Reading Time: 4 minutes I have a recipe for building a better caregiver. It turns out that my 13-year-old daughter is having a profound impact on my worldview affecting […]
The Timeline Part 2 – The Aftermath
Reading Time: 4 minutes I published “The Timeline Part 1 – The Stroke” on Aug 12, 2017, six months after the event. Now, four years after J’s Feb 11, […]
Male Caregivers Deserve Better!
Reading Time: 3 minutes Okay, I get it. I’m a 60+-year-old white guy which puts me in a demographic that is clearly out of favor, on multiple fronts. Much […]
4 Tips to Avoid Control Issues
Reading Time: < 1 minute LifeEffects.teva has published my latest article: 4 Tips to Avoid Control Issues as a Caregiver. This article deals with how your inner control-freak and obsessive-compulsive […]
Family Caregivers Need the Vaccine!
Reading Time: 4 minutes Family caregivers need the vaccine sooner rather than later! Understandably, the initial rollout of two COVID-19 vaccines prioritize health care workers and residents of long-term […]
“Are You Okay?”
Reading Time: < 1 minute My latest post “Are You Okay? 3 Communication Tips for Caregivers” is published on the Life Effects caregiver site. This is an important article on […]
Becoming Better Caregivers
Reading Time: < 1 minute My latest article published on lifeeffects.teva provides tips on how men can become better caregivers. Remember that my original premise for this blog was to […]
Letting Go of “Perfection”
Reading Time: 4 minutes I have a hard time letting go of perfection. The last 3+ years have been a difficult journey learning to care for J, knowing what […]
Chapter 1- Do We Need to Move?
Reading Time: 4 minutes As promised, I’m starting a journal recording our adventure looking for a new accessible home hence this is Chapter 1. Our current living situation is […]
In Search of the Perfect Ponytail
Reading Time: 3 minutes This blog is written primarily for men, and while I hope most of the articles are of interest to both men and women caregivers, this […]
obi – The Dining Robot
Reading Time: 5 minutes J is unable to feed herself, at least not without becoming frustrated and tired, and creating a mess – which our dog loves. Her problem […]
My Wife is Hard to Dress!
Reading Time: 3 minutes If left to me, my wife would wear sweatpants and a t-shirt every day because she is hard to dress. Thanks to the pandemic, and […]
Common Knowledge is Dead!
Reading Time: 4 minutes I yearn for simpler times when there were things most people believed to be true, common knowledge, even when they were not. George Washington chopped […]
Pandemic Preparedness Lessons
Reading Time: < 1 minute My latest article, “4 things the pandemic has taught me about preparedness” is now live on lifeeffects.teva. This article discusses being prepared to all types […]
Too Many Hats!?
Reading Time: 4 minutes One thing that the COVID-19 crisis has brought to the forefront is adding additional roles to the ones I was already handling before the stay-at-home […]
Are Male Caregivers Different?
Reading Time: 4 minutes I planned to write two blog posts since before I created this site. As the intent of this blog was to address the dearth of […]
Staying Sane – Part 2
Reading Time: 2 minutes Here is my most latest article for Lifeeffects.teva which builds on my recent post about staying sane. I know you have many choices from which […]
Staying Sane in an Insane Time
Reading Time: 5 minutes or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Pandemic I thought I’d break away from my usual topics, in light of all that […]
How I Manage My Day
Reading Time: < 1 minute Here’s my latest article published on lifeeffects.teva that discusses how I manage my day as a caregiver. One thing I didn’t say in the article […]
Coronavirus Avoidance
Reading Time: 3 minutes As any self-respecting blogger would do, I have to jump on the Coronavirus avoidance advice bandwagon. First, remember that I am not a medical professional, […]
The Hidden Costs of Caregiving
Reading Time: < 1 minute My latest article for lifeeffects.teva discusses the unexpected and hidden costs of caring for people with chronic conditions. I’d love to hear what kind of […]
Surviving Chronic Illnesses
Reading Time: < 1 minute In November 2018, Alex Belth, the editor of Esquire Classic, published an article in Men’s Health magazine, How Our Relationship Survived When My Partner Got […]
Training is Essential
Reading Time: 2 minutes Howard Glickman, senior contributor at Forbes Magazine, regularly writes about caregivers. His most recent article, Compassion isn’t enough for family caregivers. They need training too, […]
7 Tips for Traveling when Caring for Someone
Reading Time: < 1 minute LifeEffects.teva has published my article on tips for traveling with a disability or chronic illness. This article explores my experiences working with J to be […]
The Importance of Family
Reading Time: 2 minutes As we enter the holiday season, it’s important to recognize the importance of family. I’m not brazen enough to think I can add something new […]
The Proverbial Last Straw
Reading Time: 4 minutes The poor little innocuous plastic drinking straw is under attack in the war against pollution. The problem started when a 9-year-old did the math and […]
Navigating Long-Term Care
Reading Time: 3 minutes I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about long-term care and worrying over who will take care of J if (or when) something happens […]
Women Like To Have Their Faces Washed!
Reading Time: 6 minutes This blog was created to discuss the difficulties of being a male caregiver, especially when the person needing care is your spouse and a female. […]
Loneliness Affects Both Survivor & Caregiver
Reading Time: 4 minutes Loneliness isolates both the survivor and the caregiver resulting in depression.
May is Stroke Awareness Month
Reading Time: 2 minutes May is national stroke awareness month kicking off a variety of activities meant to increase awareness about identifying a stroke, recognizing risk factors, and supporting […]
Every Little Bit Counts
Reading Time: 4 minutes I am often searching for a cause. I’m driven in part by my desire to give back, sometimes by thinking I can make a difference, […]
“Why Can’t I Die?”
Reading Time: 4 minutes Amazingly, the short break I intended to take back in October to recharge for the new year turned into a five-month hiatus. Now I’m back, […]
A Grab Bar That Goes Where You Need It
Reading Time: 3 minutes I struggled for quite a while with selecting and installing grab bars around the house to help J steady herself.
7 Tips For Male Caregivers (or Not)
Reading Time: 2 minutes A blog post about wellbeing evoked a strong insightful reaction.
Navigating Customer Service & Support
Reading Time: 5 minutes Navigating Customer Service is one of the most important aspects of caregiving. Without reliable products and services, our lives and our patients lives are at risk!
Reducing the Stress of Hiring an Aide
Reading Time: 5 minutes Hiring a home care can be stressful. You may be able to learn from my experiences.
Amazon – Best Friend or Ultimate Evil?
Reading Time: 3 minutes Is Amazon taking over your life or are you resisting?
Minding Your Meds
Reading Time: 3 minutes Medication management is one of the top three functions for a caregiver.
Dysphagia – A Bitter Pill to Swallow
Reading Time: 2 minutes Dysphagia or swallow disorders complicate caregiving affecting eating and drinking.
What is a Caregiver?
Reading Time: 2 minutes Here’s my take on the role of a caregiver.
A Medical Diary is a Must!
Reading Time: 3 minutes Trello is a useful tool for keeping a medical diary.
Be Prepared to Become a Caregiver
Reading Time: 4 minutes You never know when you will become a caregiver.
The Timeline Part I – The Stroke
Reading Time: 3 minutes While this blog is not specific to caregivers of stroke survivors, I think it’s important for you to understand what happened to my wife, what […]