https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-pmfr4-7a9f8b Kathi Koll’s Life-Changing Phone Call In 2005, Kathi Koll got THE phone call. Her husband phoned her to tell her he didn’t feel well. In addition, people at Don’s work mentioned his words were slurring. Kathi rushed to the hospital to meet him. Stating that Don had a significant clot, doctors rushed him into…
This year, I will be sharing insights from other caregiving experts like Peter Rosenberger, who I met when he interviewed me on his radio show in October. Like me, Rosenberger has a spouse who has extreme caregiving needs. Here’s his story: Peter Rosenberger began his married life as a caregiver. When he met his wife,…
Just as new technology has changed television and telephones, it’s also changing caregiving. For busy caregivers who need time to work or relax while their loved ones stay home, technology can provide an answer. For example, caregiver Peter Rosenberger, who hosts a caregiving radio show on IHeart radio, uses technology frequently to make his life…
When Tina Lewis’ mother became ill, life became tumultuous and exhausting. Not only was her mother suffering, but Lewis, an only child, was suddenly a caregiver tackling numerous challenges. The first was simply figuring out what was wrong. Initially some doctors thought that depression might be the cause of her mother’s difficulties, but Lewis knew…
When a stroke or other sudden health event has wreaked havoc on a couple’s life together, retaining intimacy and joy may pale in the face of preeminent life and death issues. Yet after the shock dissipates and life continues for both the survivor and the caregiver, finding ways to reawaken joy and intimacy can be…
When people become parents for the first time, they encounter a new world with demands and stresses and joys that they never anticipated. Becoming a caregiver is a bit the same way. There may be a stronger closeness and love that develops, but there will also be stresses that are unexpected and require new skills…
The fourth in a 9-part series on guidance for new caregivers Strangely enough, when someone suffers from a stroke or other debilitating ailment, at least two people end up needing help—the sufferer and the caregiver. But often, caregivers, who may be spouses, children or other relatives, are so focused on the needs of their ailing…
The third in a 9-part series on guidance for new caregivers When you are suddenly thrust into life as a caregiver, handling a loved one’s medical needs can be one of the most confusing things for you to manage. Unless you have a medical background, you’ll be learning all sorts of new vocabulary and medical…
The second in a 9-part series on guidance for new caregivers When suddenly thrust into life as a caregiver, one needs support—financial, social, emotional, and physical—but how and where do you find it? The answer to that will be unique for every person and each situation. Some people might have big families or an extensive…
The first in a 9-part series on guidance for new caregivers When one suddenly becomes a caregiver, the challenges can be immense and confusing. Aside from the varied emotional and medical stresses, caregivers must deal with sudden and unexpected financial changes. When Janet Dodson, a Kathi Koll Foundation award recipient, lost her mother, Dodson and…