THE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson
Friday, 5 May 2023
So THAT'S Why Caregivers Feel So Desperate!
Monday, 10 April 2023
Mother Lode: Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver
When Dr. Zachary White and I were in the research phase of writing The Unexpected Journey of Caring, we talked about a phenomenon that we were observing in caregiver support groups online. Zachary called it “the great migration.” More and more caregivers (mostly women) were moving away from their own families to care for aging parents sometimes in another part of the country. Usually precipitated by some kind of crisis, most caregivers believed that a live-in stay with a parent would be temporary but many remained trapped in the role for years, apart from husbands or wives and children. This is what happened to Gretchen Staebler, author of the riveting memoir Mother Lode: Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver.
Tuesday, 4 April 2023
Happy National Caregivers Day in Canada - Reasons for Hope
Today is National Caregiver Day in Canada. I feel spring in the air and I'd like to share some trends that I feel hopeful about - hopeful for the future of caregiving here in Canada and across North America.
The first reason I'm hopeful is that The Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence is on a path towards successfully advocating for a national caregiver strategy which will ease the burden of care for us all. Disease associations and health care workers will join hands with disability organizations to form one massive coalition for caregiver support. We're all in this together and this is the first time any group has had the money, the power and the will to bring the country together for the good of caregivers. If you would like to participate in this movement for change, join the group's Canadian Advisory Network and share your experience.
I am hopeful because there is so much research going on in Canada that is rooted in partnerships with family caregivers. This matters because this new model of partnership with families transforms both what is researched and how it is researched. And research informs the way health care is delivered. Caregivers like me suggest problems we'd like investigated, like my son's seizures during sleep or my Mom's model of small group assisted living arrangements. I tell researchers what really matters to our family at every stage of the project. Then I tell the family community about what the research found - in plain language. This is radical and it's new.
If you are a parent of a child (any age) with disabilities, you might want to read about the Family Engagement in Research Program at McMaster University. If you want to have a role in creating a new caregiver support education program for health care professionals, then check out the University of Alberta's Caregiver-Centred Care Program (and tell your health care providers about it!).
I am hopeful because there's a growing conversation in Canada about how local neighbourhoods can organize to support our caring families. The Asset-Based Community Development movement or ABCD is an concept of neighbour helping neighbour in an organized and supported way, based on people's interests, talents and availability. It's a clarion call to the spirit of community in which we know and care for one another. Cormac Russell is the Executive Director of Nurture Development (ABCD in Europe) and here, he explains the idea of neighbourhood as a unit of health and change.
What else gives me hope? Cori Carl's writing - I'm a subscriber to her blog for The Caregiver Space. I experience a tiny thrill when I see a new edition appear in my inbox. Cori writes about people caring for each other from quirky angles, offering new perspectives on my own life with every new idea.
I am inspired by signs of spring. There is still snow on the ground where I live, but we are making maple syrup with our neighbours. I will bring some over to Nick and we'll have pancakes together, savouring the divine golden syrup. Like all things made at home with love, it is so much better than store-bought!
Finally, what gives me hope every day is my family. We love and celebrate each other. I'm so proud of our children. I don't know what the future holds for our society or our planet, but on National Caregivers Day 2023, I choose hope, love and family.
Friday, 24 February 2023
Caregiver Recipe Exchange!
I love food and I love to cook. But like any other caregiver, I often have no time to make something healthy and delicious, so that's when I turn to my "Under 30 second preparation time recipes."
Now, some of these recipes require slightly more than 30 seconds to make, but they are all quick, easy and include only ingredients you might have in the cupboard or fridge. I would love to hear your recipes and so, let's share! Pop your favorites into the comments section and I'll post any that are shared on The Caregivers' Living Room facebook page. 😃
I'll start. Here's a great recipe for Greek Sheet Pan Chicken. Serve with a microwave-able packet of rice and voila - delicious AND healthy dinner!
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced (about 3 tablespoons)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
- 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced (or, if you don't have a zucchini, use a tin of artichoke hearts, drained - my suggestion)
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- ½ large red onion, thinly sliced into wedges
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- ½ cup kalamata olives, pitted
- ¼ cup feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Place the chicken thighs in a bowl and pour ⅔ of the marinade on top, then use your hands to toss the chicken in the marinade and make sure it's well coated. Marinate the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes.
- While the chicken is marinating, spread the zucchini, bell pepper, red onion, and tomatoes onto the baking sheet and drizzle the remaining marinade on top. Toss together to coat the vegetables.
- Add the chicken thighs the baking sheet, nestling them around the veggies, and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven, add the olives and feta and then place it back in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened and the chicken is cooked through to 165°F.
- Sprinkle the chicken and vegetables with chopped fresh parsley before serving.
- Here are two old faves of mine: instant brownies and apple torte - you can mix them up with a fork or spoon!