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In Memory of Gladys Belyeu Rooney
Gladys Lucille Belyeu Rooney was born in Alexander City, Alabama. Her family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania when she was a toddler. She was educated in the Philadelphia school system and graduated from West Philadelphia High School.
Gladys accepted Christ at an early age at the Church of the Living God in Philadelphia. As an adult she was very active in church and served as a trustee for many years. She was a devout Christian, praising, praying and thanking God daily even after Alzheimer’s had taken over her memory.
After many years of friendship and courtship Gladys married the love of her life, Clifford Rooney in 1963. Their relationship lasted from 1949 until his death in 1992.
After receiving her cosmetology license, Gladys moved to Detroit to work as a beautician in her cousin’s hair salon. She moved back to Philadelphia a few years later and opened her own salon, Gladys’ Glamour Corner. She ran a successful beauty business for more than twenty years until the salon closed in the early 1970’s. After her salon closed, Gladys worked for the state of Pennsylvania as a House Parent in a boys’ correctional facility until she retired.
Gladys loved life, loved to travel and loved to eat. She also loved animals and had an uncanny ability to train dogs. She was a generous person who would help anyone in need.
Gladys peacefully departed this life, in her sleep, at home in Georgia on Sunday evening, November 28, 2010.
Free Elder Care Workshop
Caregivers Health Mart and Destiny World Church are partnering to present a free elder care workshop. The public is invited to gain valuable insight into an issue that, sooner or later, will affect most of us.
If you live in Metro Atlanta, please save the date, share it with friends, relatives and co-workers.
What’s Gonna Happen to Mom and Dad?
Destiny World Church
Next Level Student Center
7400 Factory Shoals Road
Austell, GA 30168
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Topics that will be covered include:
Exploring Elder Care Options: Learn what types of care are available, how to find them and which ones best suit your needs.
Hospice Is A Service, Not A Place: Hospice is not just for the dying, it’s also a service that benefits the living!
Let’s Talk About Long Term Care Insurance: Exactly what is long term care insurance and how does it work?
Understanding Advance Directives: What you should know about the necessary legal documents that express end of life care.
A few days ago I wrote a book review on The Daughter Trap. Out of all the statements in the book, this one stood out to me most: elder care is a “cultural phenomenon hidden in plain sight.” Every day more and more people are finding they need to either help or care for an elderly family member. Most of these people are not prepared to do so.
Elder care isn’t a popular topic. The masses don’t flock to these workshops and they don’t want to talk about it unless they are already taking care of someone. This presents a problem because when they get thrown into elder care, they panic. Then they call people like me because they don’t know what to do.
Why not be proactive instead of reactive and register for this workshop today. After all, it’s free.
The Daughter Trap: A Book Review
A few months ago Laurel Kennedy asked me to review her book – The Daughter Trap: Taking Care of Mom and Dad . . . And You. Laurel and I met (so to speak) on Twitter where we follow each other. Unfortunately the book sat longer than I would have liked because like the women in Laurel’s book, I am a caregiver and the past few months have been full of personal caregiving issues and drama.
Ms Kennedy describes elder care as a “cultural phenomenon hidden in plain sight.” This quote from page 10 in the book caught my attention because I know that there are over 40 million caregivers for elderly family members but the subject only seems to be discussed among fellow caregivers. I agree with Laurel’s assessment that “elder care needs a poster child” so people can have a reason to care.
If you’re looking for a “how to” book about caregiving, this is not really that type of book. This book explores the issue of women being saddled as primary caregivers for aging family members. Laurel interviewed hundreds of women who care for their own parents, their husband’s parents, family members and neighbors. Through sharing, these women paint a not-so-pretty, but accurate, picture of their expectations and the sacrifices they make in the name of elder care.
One of the reasons I started this blog was to share my family’s experiences with elder care. This is because when most people get thrown into the elder care arena, they have no idea what to do. When I try to talk to friends and neighbors with elder care issues looming in the near future, I experience what Laurel calls an “aversion to end-of-life issues and the inevitable physical and mental declines associated with old age.”
Laurel firmly believes and advocates the need for an elder care champion and a media platform. She wants a movement established to put some teeth into the issue of elder care funding, legislation, tax credits and employment leaves of absence. She gives her idea of solutions and provides elder care resources at the end of her book.
If you are at least 40 years old and your parents are still living, this book will give you some insight into what could be in store for your future:
- exploring housing options
- care options
- taking time off from work and/or early retirement
- sibling rivalry
- the value of a good geriatrician
- financial challenges and responsibilities
- the need to take care of yourself
If you are already a caregiver you will relate to many of the stories shared by the women who were interviewed. By the way, Laurel did not discriminate – she interviewed some men as well.
I read this book with the eyes of someone who is already in the trenches. Fortunately my 80 year old mother is still in good health and her mind is sharp but I take care of my god-sister who has dementia and is bedridden. It is physically and emotionally difficult and it is often frustrating but I take care of her because she has no one else. I know this book is a good resource because I’m living it.
