The Beacon Newsletter |
Dear
Friends, I would
like to dedicate this issue of the Beacon newsletter to all of you who are caring for a
spouse. I hope that the phrase “eldercare” doesn’t upset you. I use it
generically: I know that many of you are in your 50s and even if you are older than that,
you don’t consider yourself “elderly.” I try to break away from it from
time to time, so please excuse me if it pops up too often. Spousal
caregivers have a difficult role to fill. Much to your credit, you take on the
responsibility for your loved one after decades of a caring relationship. It is never easy
to assume the caregiving role, but somehow those decades make it seem more purposeful.
Many adult children who take on responsibility for their parents have distance (physical
and emotional) that they need to overcome. For a caring spouse, it may only be emotional. That is
not to say that it is easy. The role is still fraught with painful emotions, negative
attitudes and physical stress. We have two items in this newsletter that I hope will make
the transition from caring spouse to “caregiving spouse” easier. Edyth
Ann’s tips and Lousia’s poem are two permanent resources now available on our
website. Speaking
of Edyth Ann: I am pleased to announce that she and Doug Keck (who cares for his wife with
Pick’s Disease) are promoting a benefit for dementia caregivers. The “CareGivers
Fun Fest” brings together a worthy cause and some good humor. Read more about it
below. In honor of the two organizers, ElderCare Online and ALZwell Caregiver Support will
donate 20% of the proceeds from online sales of its Prism Caregiver Education Series
(sales from May 15 through July 31). Please browse through the store and help support the
FunFest. Kind
Regards, ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ INSIDE
THIS ISSUE News and
Views: Alzheimer’s Disease Research Updates ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NEWS
AND VIEWS: Alzheimer’s Disease Research Updates We have added several new articles and
news clips regarding recent scientific updates on Alzheimer’s Disease. We have been
working closely with the Alzheimer Research Forum (http://www.alzforum.org)
to bring you this breaking news. We also cull through numerous clipping services and
publications to bring you well-written and insightful material. We are very cautious about the
articles that we add to our clipping service. Many times you will see self-serving press
releases masquerading as “news.” Keep in mind that press releases are ALWAYS
one-sided and OFTEN intended to pump up a company’s stock price or to sell their
products. We will note every item that we post that is a press release. Having said that,
some press releases are useful and interesting. Be an alert reader! PRISM
CAREGIVER EDUCATION SERIES: Swing Music Promotion We are
proud to offer our educational series of booklets, workbooks and multimedia tools,
"The Prism Caregiver Education Series" through our caregiving websites,
ElderCare Online and ALZwell Caregiver Support. We offer our educational materials in a
variety of formats: printed booklets, portable CD-Roms, or online. -- choose the format
that works best for you! In
addition, four new customers this month will receive a complimentary copy of a great music
CD: “Swing City” or “Swing & Company: Live in Concert.” I loved
these CDs when I first bought them. The music is uplifting and familiar to most people. I
think the music is appropriate for a caregiver or an individual with dementia. Our Learning Resource Guides have been
developed with the goal of enhancing your understanding of the numerous complex area of
caregiving. We believe that if you have a greater sense of mastery over the skills of
caregiving, you can reduce stress and improve quality of life for both yourself and your
aging loved one. We carry seven titles, including: The Prism Care Assistant Workbooks
have been designed to reduce the complications of managing a loved one's personal affairs.
By minimizing the distractions associated with handling someone else's day-to-day affairs,
you can spend more quality time with your loved one and their healthcare professionals and
less time trying to juggle too many responsibilities. The Custom Packages that we developed
demonstrate our understanding of the issues and needs that our community members face.
They are intended to help you deal with specific issues. We all like some savings, so we
reduced the cost by 25% for each of these packages. Visit our secure online shop to browse
through our titles at http://store.yahoo.com/eldercareonline/. Remember, for the next two weeks we
will be offering our loyal newsletter subscribers a 20% discount. Use coupon number
SUBS5101 when ordering! WAITING:
A Poem by Louisa Pomeroy Louisa
wrote me recently and shared this touching poem. “I
like to write Poetry during emotional times and at my husband's Funeral Service, my
Minister read one I wrote, I would like to share it with you, if you don't mind.” Waiting I am
waiting for a Telephone call, My husband
of forty-two years, Oh, how I
wish I could get his It is
because I can't lift him any more, Thanks
again for being so nice. ALZHEIMER’S
ANSWERS: Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease: Tests, Procedures, and Issues Last week
we continued our popular Alzheimer’s Answers series with a special presentation by
Dr. Scott Small on the topic of “Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease: Tests,
Procedures, and Issues.” Dr. Small is from the Taub Institute for Alzheimer’s
Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University. The casual
but highly informative session covered topics such as: The
transcript for the chat session is now available. Click here to access it: http://www.ec-online.net/Community/transcript051101.htm ACTIVIST
ALERT!: CareGivers FunFest We are now
all familiar with the typical fund-raising activities of organizations serving people in
need: dinner dances, marathons, bike races, 50-50 raffles, and numerous other time-tested
approaches. But this year, be prepared for a different kind of fund-raiser that will help
to provide respite for caregivers to individuals affected by dementia. A group of
dedicated dementia caregivers have planned a “CareGivers FunFest” for July 28th
and 29th in Burlington, Iowa. The FunFest will give caregivers to loved ones with
Alzheimer’s Disease, Pick’s Disease and other related dementias a much needed
weekend of respite while enjoying the company of other caregivers and their friends. It
will also raise funds to fight Alzheimer’s Disease, Pick's Disease, and to assist
needy families with children at Christmastime. The events
are sure to raise awareness about the needs and issues that caregivers face. We all know
the importance of good humor and respite: these events bring that point home. It is an
event as much for caregivers to take a break, as much as it is for raising money. ElderCare
Online and ALZwell Caregiver Support will donate 20% of the proceeds from sales of the
Prism Caregiver Education Series from May 15 through July 31 in support of this event. You
can browse through our store at http://www.store.yahoo.com/eldercareonline. For more
information about the FunFest, visit http://www.angelfire.com/ia/dougkeck/funfest.html.
Or contact Doug (dougkeck@aol.com) or Edyth Ann (edythann@netzero.net). FEATURED
ARTICLE: Tips on… Spousal Caregiving When the
loved one who a person is caring for is one’s spouse, there is often a lot of
misunderstanding about what the role of “caregiver” is and what it means.
Children do not often have any idea or inkling of how it affects both parents, and the
parents often have a hard time understanding their children and their role. Often these
misunderstandings can cause great strain between parents and adult children. You can
read the complete set of ten insightful tips at: http://www.ec-online.net/Knowledge/Articles/spousetips.html, Edyth Ann
has written a series of practical tips for caregivers. They are posted to the
Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care Channel at http://www.ec-online.net/alzchannel.htm. KEEPIN’
UP WITH ALZWELL: Recognition, Questions & Answers, and Caregiver Stories The
National Alliance for Caregiving recently ranked ALZwell among the top caregiving
websites, saying, “There is
so much here, it is truly a unique and valuable site where caregivers feel warmly welcomed
and listened to.” That is such a great compliment to Susan Grossman’s work. I
strive to continue to build and grow on her foundation to make ALZwell a responsive
support service that meets the needs of dementia caregivers. Dr.
Franklin Cassel and I recently updated the Questions & Answers section of the ALZwell
Caregiver Support website. We also added some very personal stories and the reflections of
other caregivers. I see these features of ALZwell as two complimentary resources: one that
focuses on very practical issues and needs; and the other that serves to unite caregivers
in a common journey. I welcome
each of you to submit your own stories to the website and the Anger Wall as a way of
releasing internal feelings and as a way to share with other caregivers who may feel alone
or misunderstood. Visit
ALZwell Caregiver Support at http://www.alzwell.com. CHAT
SCHEDULE: Updates for May Enter the
chatroom from the front page of either website or at http://www.ec-online.net/chat.htm. May 16
(Wednesday 1:00 to 2:00PM EST) “Coffee Talk:” Host Rich O’Boyle welcomes
caregivers for a social and networking discussion group on the topic of “Meeting
Other Caregivers.” May
16 (Wednesday 9:00 to
11:00PM EST) “Bubblehead’s Chatroom:” Host Edyth Ann Knox leads a
supportive chat group for dementia caregivers on the topic of “Eating Tips.” May 17
(Thursday 9:00 to 11:00PM EST) “ElderCare Answers:” Host Rich O’Boyle leads
a self-help group for caregivers on the topic of “Understanding Geriatric
Depression.” May 23
(Wednesday 1:00 to 2:00PM EST) “Coffee Talk:” Host Rich O’Boyle welcomes
caregivers for a social and networking discussion group on the topic of “Meeting
Other Caregivers.” May
23 (Wednesday 9:00 to
11:00PM EST) “Bubblehead’s Chatroom:” Host Edyth Ann Knox leads a
supportive chat group for dementia caregivers on the topic of “Spousal Caregivers
Unite!” May 24
(Thursday 9:00 to 11:00PM EST) “Healing Loss:” Host Julie Siri leads a
discussion group for people who have lost a loved one to premature death, Alzheimer’s
Disease, or other illness. May 30
(Wednesday 1:00 to 2:00PM EST) “Coffee Talk:” Host Rich O’Boyle welcomes
caregivers for a social and networking discussion group on the topic of “Meeting
Other Caregivers.” May 30 (Wednesday 9:00 to 11:00PM EST)
“Bubblehead’s Chatroom:” Host Edyth Ann Knox leads a supportive chat group
for dementia caregivers on the topic of “Caregiver Emotions and Attitudes” May 31
(Thursday 9:00 to 11:00PM EST) “Healing Loss:” Host Julie Siri leads a
discussion group for people who have lost a loved one to premature death, Alzheimer’s
Disease, or other illness. Enter the
chatroom from the front page of either website or at http://www.ec-online.net/chat.htm. SUBSCRIPTION
INFORMATION The Beacon
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