Ten Reasons I Blog About Caregiving

As we come to the end of 2008, I’ve taken a look back at how I became a blogging caregiver.  In February, my daughter Nichole (who was Gladys’ primary caregiver) and I made the decision to move my god-sister, Gladys from Philadelphia to Georgia.   In April I decided to blog about the transition from empty nester to caregiver and the preparation process.  At that time, I knew very little about blogging.

These are my reasons to blog about caregiving:

• This blog is my caregiver support group.  While I was preparing my home (and my mind) to begin caregiving I was told by health professionals, social workers and friends to join a support group.  I knew that wasn’t going to happen, it’s just not me.  The people who read my blog and leave comments are my support group.  I can vent, share my experiences and frustrations right here on this blog.  You can comment or not, but I know I’ve been heard and I move on.
• Blogging reminds me about what’s important.  Before I became a caregiver for my sister, I was content with my life as an empty nester – glad our bills were paid and there was food in the refrigerator.  But now, with the recession, I’ve been taken back to 1973 and remember reading stories about elderly people eating cat food because they couldn’t afford groceries.  That’s why I gave the caregiver challenge to feed the elderly.
• Blogging helps keep friends and family informed about Gladys.  Before moving to Georgia, Gladys had always lived in Philadelphia.  This blog helps keep family and friends informed.
• Blogging about caregiving has made me and my family more sensitive to aging issues.  Since becoming caregivers, my family and I have learned so much about adult day care, medicare, medicaid, geriatric physicians and elder care options.  I think my children will be more prepared as my husband and I age.
• Blogging allows other caregivers to help me.  Like most bloggers, I read other blogs about caregiving, dementia and eldercare.  Those bloggers help me on many levels.  Sometimes it’s as simple as knowing that my situation with Gladys is good compared to what some other caregivers experience.  Other times it’s insight from a blogger with expertise in the area of dementia who shares something that I am struggling with caring for Gladys.
• This caregiver blog allows me to help other people. On this blog I share information about my caregiving experience and also share information about aging, elder care, dementia and Alzheimer’s.  I’ve had people tell me that they used information from this blog to help them with an aging parent.  A friend of mine who shared her story on this blog said that it helped her immensely.
• Blogging about caregiving and dementia creates a challenge for me.  I began blogging at 56 years old.  I did not know what I was doing and had a steep learning curve to be able to set up my own blog and learn about theme selection, plug-ins, widgets, SEO, social networking and all the other things that go along with blogging.  I hope all this learning will help keep my neurons untangled.
• Blogging and caregiving makes me read books out of my comfort zone.  I love a good thriller, suspense or murder mystery.  Give me a Vince Flynn, Michael Connelly or Walter Mosley novel and I’m good.  Other than that I tend to read books on ministry and leadership.  Now, my reading selections include books on caregiving, dementia and blogging.
• Blogging forces me to seek out new information about dementia, Alzheimer’s and aging.  The information I find may not be new but it is new to me and to some others who read my blog.
• Friends I’ve made through blogging.  I’ve met lots of people through blogging.  Since I’m an introvert, indirect contact works for me -:).  I have blogging friends in the Northeast, Midwest, South, West Coast, Hawaii, Great Britain and Australia.  If I have a question, I can send them an email and they get right back to me.  Sometimes I just drop a note to say hi.

Thanks for reading my 10 reasons.  Tune in this time next year to see where I am.  By the way, I am in the process of launching a ministry blog.  It only has a few posts right now but I’d like you to check it out at http:yourministryhelper.com.  It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for quite a while.

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Update on Caregiver Challenge to Feed the Elderly

A few days ago I put forth a challenge for caregivers and other kind people to feed elderly people on a limited fixed income.  I never underestimate the kindness of strangers because I still believe most people are kind. In just a few days, enough donations have been received to feed three more elderly people for about a month.  Like I said before, it’s nothing extravagant.  This time I purchased a 12 pack of corn and a 12 pack of green beans; an eight pack of 18 oz cans of soup; a 16 pack of tuna, a large jar of peanut butter and a two pack box of oatmeal.  Not pictured is a gallon jug of apple juice and a box of crackers.  Three elderly people will receive these groceries next week.

Many thanks to everyone who has donated so far.  Special thanks to Kathy Hendershot-Hurd who tweeted the challenge and mentioned it on her blog Virtual Impax; and to Michael Martine who tweeted the challenge.

This challenge will be ongoing.  I would like to help feed our elderly on a regular basis, especially in this economy.

Related Reading:

Challenge for Caregivers and other Kind People

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Challenge for Caregivers and Other Kind People

A challenge to help feed elderly people on a limited fixed income.

Every year my husband and I choose a charity or family to bless during the Christmas season.  Some years it has been Project Angel Tree, Atlanta Women’s Shelter or a family of our choosing.  This year we decided to bless three elderly people on a fixed income.

I have a friend who manages Carriage House Apartments in Smyrna, Georgia.  The majority of her residents are elderly people on a limited fixed income who often run out of food before the end of the month.  If you have been reading this blog, you will find in a previous post that my god-sister was sick last week and I did not send her to her Senior Day Care Center.  I am fortunate to be able to work from home if I need to do so; therefore I did not have to hire anyone to stay with Gladys last week.

Anyway, what we decided to do was take the money I would have paid the Cobb Senior Day Center and purchase food for three of the elderly residents at Carriage House.  I purchased the food at a wholesale club and was able to buy enough food for three people for about a month.  I’m not talking about anything fancy, just staples:  oatmeal, tuna, green beans, potatoes, peanut butter, crackers, tea and soup – all in large quantities.

The Challenge

My challenge is to other caregivers and other kind folks, to feed elderly people on a fixed income.  They could be a neighbor, a member of your church or whomever.  If you would like to donate here, I will be glad to do the shopping and feed more people at Carriage House and possibly others in need if there are enough donations.  I know that you don’t know me and I don’t know you, but I promise that every penny donated through this site will be used for food donations for elderly people on a fixed income.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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