Meet fellow Caregivers - Introduce yourself
Welcome to the Caregivers group on Mayo Clinic Connect.
Caring for someone can be rewarding, but it is also very demanding and can be isolating. Let's use this space to connect with other caregivers, share experiences, talk frankly about the tough stuff without judgement and to provide a virtual shoulder to lean on.
I'm Colleen, and I'm the moderator of this group, and Community Director of Connect. I look forwarding to welcoming you and introducing you to other members. Feel free to browse the topics or start a new one.
Grab a cup of tea, or beverage of you choice, and let's chat. Why not start by introducing yourself?
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Caregivers Support Group.
Here is the link to the Family Involvement in Care online learning from the University of Iowa https://learn.uiowa.edu/browse/igec/courses/gec-1002
Thanks for the resource, @rmftucker
I am a member of the sandwich generation, caring for my children and parent at the same time. My dad lives on his own but I need to keep close tabs on him to ensure that everything is going alright. One tool that I use is TheirCare (https://their.care), a service that is delivered via smart TV that enables me to do video calls with my dad. He can answer my call with his TV remote and just talk to me from his recliner in his living room. I can call him from my computer or smart phone and get to see him and get an idea of how well he is doing.
Recently I have become concerned that he has dropped 17 pounds in the past 6-8 weeks and has been struggling with weakness in one of his legs.
Hello @chadknudson That service sounds interesting! I will have to check it out. I love how many new (for me) ideas in caregiving get shared here on Mayo Connect!
What has your dad's doctor said about that weight loss and weakness?
Strength, courage, and peace!
The doctor sent my dad to physical therapy to see if he could regain some strength in his right leg. The doctor also noticed that the reflexes for that leg were markedly less than his left leg. If after several weeks of physical therapy they do not see improvement in strength then they want to do an MRI.
I have been caregiver for almost two years now as my main man has very short-term memory for quite some time now and he has diabetes and is blind in the right eye and his vision is failing in the left eye as well. He becomes very frustrated at times and i try and be very patient with his mood changes as depression sets in as well. We have been married since 1999 and i have such fine memories when we were both healthier and my husband could drive and we would take those special country drives together or just go out for coffee. It hasn't been easy a lot of the time being the main caregiver but my husband is a very kind and good person and it isn't his fault he has poor health at the age of 80. I shall be here until the end comes and never turn away from my soul mate, my husband.
Hello @tcphonehome Nice to e-meet you here at Mayo Connect! I am sorry to read of your husband's healthcare journey and yours as a caregiver. You sound very much in love with your main man and that is so nice to read! I believe it is love, which fuels much, if not all, of what we as caregivers do! I also agree with you that as caregivers one of the tougher aspects is while we are with our loved one everyday, we cannot help but remember 'the better times'. I did it with my wife frequently and now that she's gone I miss those early days, when we were a healthy couple, and did the simple, everyday things. Funny how I think back and it is not to the trips we took or the fancy parties we attended, but the everyday things, which I know now were what bought us close in the first place! I miss all those so much --- as you do with your partner!
I lost the vision and hearing on my right side in December to a stroke, so I can also commiserate with your husband. I hope his sight in his one eye continues as best as can be hoped for.
You are also correct when you say "it hasn't been easy a lot of the time being the main caregiver..." Caregiving ain't for wimps that is for sure! Love may fuel us, but it is an amazing inner strength that pulls us through on the toughest of days! I also like to say this: There are no superheros in caregiving. Superman and Wonder Woman only exist in the comic books! We each can only do the best we can!
Thanks for posting and be sure to keep in touch! Caregiving can also be very isolating and Connect can help bust that isolation down at least electronically!
Strength, courage, and peace!
Mom is 93. I am her only child. I stay with her at nights and have for 4 years. I have care givers with her during the days and some evenings. I leave her house at 7 and go to my
Home and get ready for work. I have no children. I have to get up 2 times a night to help
Mom to bathroom. The broken sleep is rough. I'm considering looking for an assisted living facility for mom but not sure she'd do well there. I'm tired all the time
Hi Colleen, Thanks for your welcoming me to Mayo Clinic Connect. I have shared a few times and need your help in navigating the system. I was diagnosed July 2017 with Giant Cell (temporal) Arteritis, and have appreciated pertinent shares on GCA, but so often get sidetracked to another unrelated group. Apparently I am not correctly unsubscribing from groups I’m not interested in following. Thanks for your help.
Hello @captainkenny, If you click on your profile picture at the top of any Connect window and select Account Settings, then scroll to the bottom you will see Email Notifications where you can edit the notifications for Posts, Groups, Pages and more. You can also unsubscribe from all notifications at the bottom.
John
Thanks John. I took your direction and we’ll see what happens.