The past year has been a challenging one, particularly for caregivers. In addition to the normal isolation and stress of looking after a loved one, caregivers faced the added fear and anxiety of the coronavirus. Many struggled with the worry that they might inadvertently bring the potentially deadly illness home from work or into a…
Internet crime skyrocketed by 69 percent last year, and the elderly and disabled were one of the prime targets for these reported scams, which, according to the FBI, raked in more than $4.1 billion. As a caregiver, protecting your loved one from online financial attacks can be a challenge, because the predators prey on their…
Just over a year ago, change swept through the world. Active people were suddenly spending their days at home. Confusion reigned in terms of what was and wasn’t safe to do, and a new normal was created. Now change is sweeping through again. However, this time, it’s traveling in the opposite direction. Vaccination has now…
Sometimes the challenges of caregiving leave little time for caring for yourself. When your loved one’s needs are overwhelming, your needs may feel impossible to address. The time and energy needed to exercise or hang out with a friend or do a favored hobby may seem unavailable and impossible to find. So what can…
The past year has been a challenge, but it has also brought to the fore many helpers, from hospital workers to grocery clerks, who have fought to keep people healthy and fed. For The Kathi Koll Foundation, it has also brought out the givers. Last year, donations increased by more than 65 percent, and…
The holidays can be a time of family, festivity, and fun. For some, they may also create loneliness and money struggles. This year, the pandemic will add a new dimension to the yearly mix of joy and stress. As a caregiver of an ailing loved one, worries about Covid-19 can make even the simplest Thanksgiving…
Last month’s blog on the importance of laughter received such positive feedback that I thought the topic deserved a second look, so here is a deeper exploration of how essential humor is to the caregiver journey. There are few things that are universally true for everyone, but maybe we can all agree that the year…
Laughter truly is the best medicine. When my husband, Don, suffered a massive stroke and became a quadriplegic, I thought I’d never laugh again. A friend told me how important laughter was, and I decided to give it a try. I bought a Robin Williams CD and surprised Don with it. That night, Williams’ irreverent,…
Creativity and caregiving go hand in hand! Invariably caregivers have stories of how they used creativity to overcome problems and enhance the lives of both themselves and their loved ones. For example, one caregiver no longer had time to leave home and meet her friends. So she and her friends devised a new way to…
This has been a year of unpredictability for everyone, but even in normal times, unpredictability is often the constant companion of caregivers.
Health emergencies may strike in the middle of the night, or the evolution of a loved one’s disease might cause new concerns or sudden schedule changes.