The holiday season with its emphasis on light, ranging from Christmas tree lights to candles for Channukah and Kwanzaa, can be a reminder to look for the light in our lives. As a caregiver, sometimes we are so busy that the light in our lives can get lost, but the light is always there. By…
Best-laid plans can go awry. Two sisters whose 90-year-old mother had mild dementia thought that an assisted living facility might be the best place for her. Near one sister’s home, they found a great place with lots of social opportunities and activities, which they hoped would help slow the dementia’s progress. They toured the place,…
Autumn with its cooler weather and falling leaves is a reminder that life is full of changes. But those same seasonal changes also bring familiar routines, ranging from pulling out sweaters and heavier coats to decorating for the holidays. This combination of change and familiarity is also part of caregiving. A loved one’s medical condition…
Arts and crafts can be an easy way to enhance the lives of both caregivers and their loved ones. Creative activities activate parts of the brain that enhance memory and problem-solving skills, which can reduce cognitive decline. As people focus their energies on an artistic task, levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop while happiness…
Being a caregiver is hard, but being the patient can be even harder. A friend learned that herself last month when a CT scan found a 15-pound tumor that had been misdiagnosed as an innocuous condition. It was soon removed in a seven-hour surgery, and luckily found to be not cancerous. However, the surgery also…
Dear Friends, Today, I want to share with you my heartfelt appreciation for your support over our 10+ years of helping caregivers in need and to proudly announce that we have reached the incredible milestone of raising over $1,000,000 for Kathi’s Caregivers! At the Kathi Koll Foundation, we understand that caregiving is both a labor…
I know this may seem like a harsh message to hear but I think it’s very important as we think of ourselves as caregivers and our loved ones who require that care, so I wanted to write about how we all need each other, caregivers most of all! It’s haunting—the image of a confused Gene…
Hello supporters and friends 🤗 I once received a precious and unexpected present that so warmed my heart that it still resonates 15 years later. It happened during the 6-1/2 years that I cared for my late husband, Don, who had been paralyzed from the neck down after a stroke. A carpenter working on a…
The Kathi Koll foundation provides aid that is personal and unique to each client. That’s the point of it. The foundation steps in, just as a caregiver might, to provide help when no one else is there to give it. I thought I would share with you two stories of how the generous support of…
Dear Family and Friends, I would like to start my blog by sending my utmost condolences to all who have been affected by the fires in Southern California. I personally know many of you, and words cannot express the sorrow and helplessness I feel. I did not feel it was appropriate to send my monthly blog in…