Family caregiving doesn’t always mean poor mental health, study finds
By
Kristen Fischer
Dec 15, 2023
Caregiving may be stressful for some people, but it can have mental health benefits for others, according to a new study. The author said people should not automatically categorize caregiving as a chronic...
People with dementia, caregivers deal with stigma, care access issues
By
Kristen Fischer
Jul 28, 2023
Social stigma is still getting in the way of life for people with dementia and those who care for them.
Volunteering opened my eyes to the plight of our LTC system
By
Colleen McConnaha
Dec 06, 2021
Several weeks ago, I began volunteering as a care assistant at a nursing home that is part of the system my husband works for. It has been a rewarding, eye-opening, and somewhat concerning experience that...
A caregiver named Sammy
By
Martie Moore
Jul 02, 2021
It is not an unusual story. A 90-year-old man suddenly is having trouble breathing, his heart is enlarged, and his kidneys are slowing down in their functioning. A care conference is called and the family,...
Lawmakers try to wedge open door to nursing home visitors with mandated ‘caregiving’ program
By
Kimberly Marselas
Feb 05, 2021
Vaccination campaigns and reduced COVID-19 transmission may soon bring visitors back to nursing homes, but officials in one state are using legislation to wedge the doors open now.
Making moments count
By
Martie Moore
Dec 21, 2016
As a professional caregiver, you see, hear and experience the story of the lives before you, and not just the shell of an aging body. Your actions do not make the evening news, but they should.
Intervention: How eating and drinking can save your skin
By
Martie Moore
Jan 14, 2015
Graduating with a nursing degree in hand, I was ready to bring my new knowledge and skills to the bedside. Thirty years later, I am amazed at how much I still have to learn and apply to my practice. In...
When Father’s Day arrives in December
By
John O'Connor
Dec 08, 2014
I have enjoyed a life largely free of the misfortune that time and circumstance can bring. All things considered, it’s been a pretty good ride so far. But even the most fortunate among us does not...
Alzheimer’s caregiving: The new normal
By
Allan S. Vann, Ed.D
May 19, 2014
I dealt first with my wife’s Alzheimer’s as a 24/7 caregiver at home, and now as a part-time caregiver and full-time advocate since her placement in the dementia wing of an assisted living...
I was a better nurse when …
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
May 06, 2014
It’s Nurses Day — a day we celebrate all it means to be a nurse. This day gets me into deep thinking. Particularly about the core of a nurse and how sometimes — even if we don’t want it...