This is the season when people take unnecessary risks. Are you one of them? Are you endangering your loved one? Be smart. Be prepared. Can you prevent a catastrophe at home? In an emergency, if you need to evacuate the house, what will you take with you?
Start your New Year off right. Take a few minutes today You could save a life:
1. If you don't have smoke detectors or they are out of date, buy new ones and make sure they are properly installed. Replace batteries in your smoke detectors. Use a permanent marker on the back to note the date. This way, you will know it was done.
2. Do you have a carbon monoxide detector? This will alert you if dangerous levels are building up in your home. Buy one and properly install it. If you have one, change the batteries and mark the date, so you know it was done.
3. If you need to get out of the house in an emergency, make sure you have important information that you will need in a convenient folder or on a USB stick. Or save it in "the cloud", so you can access it wherever you are. You'll want contact numbers and any pertinent information on your loved one. Why not also add family information that you'll need? Don't forget to have your loved one's identification and insurance information handy.
4. Consider replacing candles and open flames with battery-operated and independent power sources that are safer. Remember that your loved one may not have the stamina or energy to flee in a fire, so err on the side of caution.
5. If you live in an area that is prone to ice and snow storms, be sure to be prepared. Know where blankets are, have a couple of days worth of food for your loved one that he or she can eat, and emergency supplies on hand -- consider an emergency radio.
6. Figure out ahead of time what you will do if the power goes out, the phones are down, and the roads are closed. Have a plan. If you know a big storm is coming, know where you will go and decide when you will evacuate.
Don't leave your emergency planning until disaster is upon you. Be proactive. And then, sit back with your loved one and relax. Happy New Year!
For more help with your caregiving, visit The Practical Caregiver Guides:
http://www.practicalcaregiverguides.com/
For a free downloadable ebook version of The Practical Caregiver's Guide to Cancer Care: How to Help Someone You Love, visit my Smashwords page or your favorite ebook store:
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/practicalcaregiver
Friday, December 30, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
GIFTS FOR CANCER PATIENTS
It's that time of year, and if you're a caregiver for a cancer patient, you may feel stumped about what gifts to give your loved one, especially if it's been a tough cancer year.
When choosing, consider your loved one's needs. Is there neuropathy involved? Or a handicap? Or fatigue? Has he or she lost a lot of weight lately? Have things been too serious or very scary? Gifts that comfort can make your loved one feel safe and cozy.
Suggestions:
-- A soft lap blanket for napping
-- A comfy pillow to rest the head
-- A recliner
-- Easy-to-put-on slippers, slipper socks with treads, velcro-fastened or slip-on shoes
-- Clothing that doesn't require a lot of effort to put on -- sweats, lounge wear, pants with elastic waists, tops that don't have a lot of buttons
-- A funky cane -- something colorful, camouflage, folding, or even one that has a seat attached, for when your loved one gets tired and needs to just rest a minute
-- A colorful hat, scarf, or turban
-- A calculator and/or dictionary, to compensate for those "chemo brain" moments
But don't stop there -- consider other unusual offerings:
-- Dinner and a movie of your loved one's choice
-- A drive to see the Christmas lights
-- Tickets to a holiday show
Wherever your loved one is in cancer treatment and management, make your gifts fit his or her physical, mental, and emotional needs. Cancer always takes its toll on quality of life for your loved one. Whatever you can do to help compensate for the loss of opportunities and abilities is something that will empower and encourage your loved one. Sometimes the biggest gift you can give someone with cancer is to keep hope alive. No matter what happens, your commitment to be there through rain or shine, sleet or snow, is wonderful gift to give. Celebrate what is good at this very moment and put cancer on the back burner for a while. Love, not cancer, makes the world go around, caregivers!
For more free help with cancer caregiving, visit:
The Practical Caregiver Guides
If you would like a free downloadable copy of The Practical Caregiver's Guide to Cancer Care: How to Help Someone You Love, visit my Smashwords page:
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/practicalcaregiver
When choosing, consider your loved one's needs. Is there neuropathy involved? Or a handicap? Or fatigue? Has he or she lost a lot of weight lately? Have things been too serious or very scary? Gifts that comfort can make your loved one feel safe and cozy.
Suggestions:
-- A soft lap blanket for napping
-- A comfy pillow to rest the head
-- A recliner
-- Easy-to-put-on slippers, slipper socks with treads, velcro-fastened or slip-on shoes
-- Clothing that doesn't require a lot of effort to put on -- sweats, lounge wear, pants with elastic waists, tops that don't have a lot of buttons
-- A funky cane -- something colorful, camouflage, folding, or even one that has a seat attached, for when your loved one gets tired and needs to just rest a minute
-- A colorful hat, scarf, or turban
-- A calculator and/or dictionary, to compensate for those "chemo brain" moments
But don't stop there -- consider other unusual offerings:
-- Dinner and a movie of your loved one's choice
-- A drive to see the Christmas lights
-- Tickets to a holiday show
Wherever your loved one is in cancer treatment and management, make your gifts fit his or her physical, mental, and emotional needs. Cancer always takes its toll on quality of life for your loved one. Whatever you can do to help compensate for the loss of opportunities and abilities is something that will empower and encourage your loved one. Sometimes the biggest gift you can give someone with cancer is to keep hope alive. No matter what happens, your commitment to be there through rain or shine, sleet or snow, is wonderful gift to give. Celebrate what is good at this very moment and put cancer on the back burner for a while. Love, not cancer, makes the world go around, caregivers!
For more free help with cancer caregiving, visit:
The Practical Caregiver Guides
If you would like a free downloadable copy of The Practical Caregiver's Guide to Cancer Care: How to Help Someone You Love, visit my Smashwords page:
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/practicalcaregiver
Monday, December 12, 2011
WHY A FREE DOWNLOADABLE CANCER CARE BOOK?
When my mother was being treated for cancer and I was her caregiver, I had the good fortune to meet some amazing people. Some were medical personnel, but most were patients and family members. Everyone has a story, but some stories are better than others. Why? Because they inspire us to do more and to be more. Along the road to life, there are many heroes who started out as ordinary people. As they battled cancer, sometimes over decades, they began to learn things about their disease, as did their caregivers. How you approach cancer management matters.
One thing I gained from having access to so many cancer patients and their caregivers over the years was reinforced by my own early experiences in working with pediatric cancer patients. With cancer, you have to keep hope alive. Make time to play when you feel good. Sometimes everything can hinge on just surviving a day longer. I learned that from little Scotty, deemed to be dying by his pediatric oncologist. I was called in to say my goodbyes because little Scotty wasn't expected to survive the weekend. As I sat with him in the ICU, I threw caution to the wind. I put aside his terminal diagnosis and I embraced the moment. Having pulled out my compact mirror to check my reflection, I was surprised by little Scotty's request. Could he put makeup on me? Who was I to say no to a dying child. By the time he was done applying eye shadow and lipstick, I looked like Snookie at the Jersey Shore. And therein lies the magic of living in the moment. Scotty laughed at the sight of me, and the sound of his laughter was contagious. Whatever was to come didn't matter. Scotty was having fun. He was being a child, even when the chemotherapy made him feel as sick as a dog. Soon he was into remission, back to being a rambunctious five-year-old with a silly streak a mile wide.
Do I suggest that his recovery was a miracle? No. I believe it was a combination of good oncology, good care by his family, and the chance to forget about the cancer long enough to be a kid again. Every cancer patient regular "fugetaboutit" time, when you put aside the disease and get back to who you are. There are hopes, dreams, plans, desires to be fulfilled.
When cancer caregivers understand that there are common tasks and strategies for helping their loved ones better manage their lives with cancer, that's when good things happen. Learning to live in the here-and-now, understanding that we have these moments to enjoy and we shouldn't waste them -- that's when good things happen. When we take our loved ones to cancer treatment and then take them out for fun, that's when good things happen. Treat the disease and then feed the soul.
That's why I created the free caregiver ebooks -- because of all the wonderful people I met along the cancer highway, who graciously shared some important life lessons with me. But I also learned from all the people who lost their joy, who clung to misery and anger with both hands on the steering wheel. Cancer is never an easy diagnosis. There is a lot of dread and uncertainty that comes with the territory. But for everyone who rose above, who let hope live in the heart, even for a day, you were my inspiration for The Practical Caregiver Guides. It's never over until the Fat Lady sings, so Carpe Diem!
If you would like to download my free cancer caregiver ebook, "The Practical Caregiver's Guide to Cancer Care: How to Help Someone You Love", visit Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/110999
If you would like more free caregiver education, video tips, and inspiration, visit The Practical Caregiver Guides:
www.practicalcaregiverguides.com
One thing I gained from having access to so many cancer patients and their caregivers over the years was reinforced by my own early experiences in working with pediatric cancer patients. With cancer, you have to keep hope alive. Make time to play when you feel good. Sometimes everything can hinge on just surviving a day longer. I learned that from little Scotty, deemed to be dying by his pediatric oncologist. I was called in to say my goodbyes because little Scotty wasn't expected to survive the weekend. As I sat with him in the ICU, I threw caution to the wind. I put aside his terminal diagnosis and I embraced the moment. Having pulled out my compact mirror to check my reflection, I was surprised by little Scotty's request. Could he put makeup on me? Who was I to say no to a dying child. By the time he was done applying eye shadow and lipstick, I looked like Snookie at the Jersey Shore. And therein lies the magic of living in the moment. Scotty laughed at the sight of me, and the sound of his laughter was contagious. Whatever was to come didn't matter. Scotty was having fun. He was being a child, even when the chemotherapy made him feel as sick as a dog. Soon he was into remission, back to being a rambunctious five-year-old with a silly streak a mile wide.
Do I suggest that his recovery was a miracle? No. I believe it was a combination of good oncology, good care by his family, and the chance to forget about the cancer long enough to be a kid again. Every cancer patient regular "fugetaboutit" time, when you put aside the disease and get back to who you are. There are hopes, dreams, plans, desires to be fulfilled.
When cancer caregivers understand that there are common tasks and strategies for helping their loved ones better manage their lives with cancer, that's when good things happen. Learning to live in the here-and-now, understanding that we have these moments to enjoy and we shouldn't waste them -- that's when good things happen. When we take our loved ones to cancer treatment and then take them out for fun, that's when good things happen. Treat the disease and then feed the soul.
That's why I created the free caregiver ebooks -- because of all the wonderful people I met along the cancer highway, who graciously shared some important life lessons with me. But I also learned from all the people who lost their joy, who clung to misery and anger with both hands on the steering wheel. Cancer is never an easy diagnosis. There is a lot of dread and uncertainty that comes with the territory. But for everyone who rose above, who let hope live in the heart, even for a day, you were my inspiration for The Practical Caregiver Guides. It's never over until the Fat Lady sings, so Carpe Diem!
If you would like to download my free cancer caregiver ebook, "The Practical Caregiver's Guide to Cancer Care: How to Help Someone You Love", visit Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/110999
If you would like more free caregiver education, video tips, and inspiration, visit The Practical Caregiver Guides:
www.practicalcaregiverguides.com
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