tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14891734398650616322024-03-18T05:48:10.550-04:00THE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna ThomsonAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368028391616959419noreply@blogger.comBlogger763125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-73030549790398420402024-02-01T11:54:00.000-05:002024-02-01T11:54:01.920-05:00Couples as Caregivers<p><br /></p><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2262283141229419592" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 550px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">February 14th is of course Valentine's Day and this year, I am planning a very special <a href="https://continuing.mcmaster.ca/programs/health-social-services/caregiving-essentials/#tab-content-webinars">Caregiving Essentials webinar</a> with... my husband! Jim and I have been married for 47 years and for most of those, we have been caregivers. As a couple, we've cared for our mothers, my step-father and of course our son Nicholas. I've been reflecting lately on what it takes to give care and maintain a loving, spousal relationship. There is no denying, it's a challenge.</span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2262283141229419592" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 550px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIVFkREneM2oDBc0We-QcPik24_WssUVQ8LhIjoXxB-Ytlmth-KQRTKq6tVS6FI--Umt4KmXZ02CzuAiGHQXPcdrYqH52OCByj9y3B9VB9eDB-R_0i8bpb9ycQYNbYwMPV1HSf48RsghnV7MyKyzjZRd6EibGEmNdHpKBpyCNJwbi-ppoeOe25eBk502bq" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIVFkREneM2oDBc0We-QcPik24_WssUVQ8LhIjoXxB-Ytlmth-KQRTKq6tVS6FI--Umt4KmXZ02CzuAiGHQXPcdrYqH52OCByj9y3B9VB9eDB-R_0i8bpb9ycQYNbYwMPV1HSf48RsghnV7MyKyzjZRd6EibGEmNdHpKBpyCNJwbi-ppoeOe25eBk502bq=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2262283141229419592" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 550px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">There's something about caregiving that takes the "red" out of "hot" in the marital bed. Maybe it's the fact that we are constantly watching for the needs of another. Or perhaps we are just too tired. You can't drink from an empty cup and you cannot experience flickers of passion if you feel like a wet dishcloth.</span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2262283141229419592" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 550px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br />What happens when the needs of that vulnerable charge never really diminish, they increase day by day? We keep our caregiver eye firmly fixed on our loved one... we keep them safe. So, what does it take to keep the romantic fires alight? I would say that it requires a decision - a decision to look away from your care recipient for a few minutes and look at your partner. It's difficult, especially when looking only at your loved one becomes a habit - a habit that eventually feels like necessary breathing.<br /><br />And TIME is the enemy here. Most caregivers have no respite, especially if their loved one is complex. One couple I know who run a home hospital for their 42 year old son have not been out to dinner since 1997. They cannot trust others to look after their precious son - his care would tax even a well-staffed, state of the art medical facility.<br /><br />Some couples will have to muster lots of determination to make that decision to remain close. Many will have to create complicated puzzles for respite plans, however brief. But once the decision is made to have some physical contact with a partner, the decision is there - it becomes real. Hands will be held, necks will be stroked, hugs have a chance of leading to something closer.<br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAUKvA36qPHIC6gSBUkRFY7VoDk0brkIjoTwTeGTuP8gbj7fBSTujuU0uOulxWhfbiCPxOe-irIIrrP5WDXavZcHP6c_GdXrW0lcAvtjDK8Z10E6PK0RAgEXeManSLil-u-6oa8t4JIGR/s1600/11516325-young-couple-in-love-kissing-in-autumn-park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #0065ff; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAUKvA36qPHIC6gSBUkRFY7VoDk0brkIjoTwTeGTuP8gbj7fBSTujuU0uOulxWhfbiCPxOe-irIIrrP5WDXavZcHP6c_GdXrW0lcAvtjDK8Z10E6PK0RAgEXeManSLil-u-6oa8t4JIGR/w400-h269/11516325-young-couple-in-love-kissing-in-autumn-park.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br />It takes courage to turn away from a fragile elder, medically complex child or ill spouse, even for a minute. But a little planning to ensure the best safety measures possible for a break of fifteen minutes or a weekend away can make a caregiver and his or her partner into a couple.</span><div style="clear: both;"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2262283141229419592" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 550px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2262283141229419592" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 550px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div class="post-footer" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0.5em 0px;"></div>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-75494673714854118832023-12-30T13:09:00.006-05:002023-12-30T13:11:43.954-05:00Why 2024 Will Be the Year of the Caregiver<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My New Year's resolution is to work hard at the <a href="https://canadiancaregiving.org/">Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence</a> to get a national strategy for caregivers - ALL caregivers, patients and families. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The third day of the November <a href="https://canadiancaregivingsummit.ca/">Canadian Caregiving Summit </a>was all about how we can achieve real change here and worldwide for you, me and the millions of caregivers who need help now. We wanted to know what had been achieved in other countries and how they did it. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgr33gK5KHuQ9Q52aEo10_EqL3An6blh9brDodvvgQqUXMO7WyFakX1KrrjA9sV9jLGDttz40ThXz2bIY6XLHqYVSeFiZYsj1eeVhmdPK4W25mWaEF0zSChUCyyzvOWrNM6lFkuBxWxLJNVV2LEM8yg4bQg19cg9U0fERzRJAj1zhSpKXJG_c_BEIAGq4lu" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgr33gK5KHuQ9Q52aEo10_EqL3An6blh9brDodvvgQqUXMO7WyFakX1KrrjA9sV9jLGDttz40ThXz2bIY6XLHqYVSeFiZYsj1eeVhmdPK4W25mWaEF0zSChUCyyzvOWrNM6lFkuBxWxLJNVV2LEM8yg4bQg19cg9U0fERzRJAj1zhSpKXJG_c_BEIAGq4lu=w400-h266" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">First off, we heard from <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-barkoff-31b363135/">Allison Barkoff,</a> acting <span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" style="background-color: white;">Assistant Secretary for Aging and Principal Deputy Administrator, Administration for Community Living at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She declared that her mission was to ensure every person can live and participate in their community, regardless of age or ability. Not just people with Alzheimer's or childhood disability, EVERYONE. Caregivers included. Allison described a framework for thinking about care infrastructure: that supporting it is a matter of civil and human rights. And that care infrastructure consists of paid care AND families. We cannot support one without the other and expect positive change. A key aspect of the federal "wins" for caregivers that Allison described was in combining issues of aging with disability. Another key element was political will. An executive order by President Joe Biden created the opportunity for a big tent movement culminating in the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/115/plaws/publ119/PLAW-115publ119.htm">RAISE Family Caregivers Act.</a> "We must make the business case to support caregivers", Ms. Barkoff said, "and then we must act with radical incrementalism." In other words, be visionary, determined, collaborative, strategic and know that small steps on a single path can lead to new territory. </span></span></p><p><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLrYzO-9irzl6S9CFgNHdTbCY6LfTvYgcfnfxDZEkKX7gXRaVxMUtLg3QfrFn_anots98TXxh02yYy-xXvB2OEl-FZWDCNvD6_WzVZjZi8He34OoMpNofMMmZ7_oS0uSStzug1YfVoAZZimV9w7vuHqrojjwMECXVwmiVKeMUeWpDbtSutT-_CuRff7lgF" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1136" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLrYzO-9irzl6S9CFgNHdTbCY6LfTvYgcfnfxDZEkKX7gXRaVxMUtLg3QfrFn_anots98TXxh02yYy-xXvB2OEl-FZWDCNvD6_WzVZjZi8He34OoMpNofMMmZ7_oS0uSStzug1YfVoAZZimV9w7vuHqrojjwMECXVwmiVKeMUeWpDbtSutT-_CuRff7lgF=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9)" style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-link/">Greg Link</a> of the US Department for Community Living (Director, Caregiver Support) told us that the RAISE Act </span><span style="background-color: white;">includes </span><a href="https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/common/NatlStrategyFamCaregivers_FedActions.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">a list of nearly 350 actions that 15 federal agencies agreed to take</a><span style="background-color: white;">. He urged us to adopt a similar big tent approach and then seek elected officials to enact a national strategy. He said, "have a policy that's big enough that any group that looks at it can think, "there's something here for us."" It's a whole society approach. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiJlcrkwJCL9lo13rHWNNwAjVwIo6gacwMeCEd2ND2MMO8pXZCAR_quGHbPbdQjFWY09KgRwqGgJ1djaFG4A5MZ6h1RxiYQSCj_4NCeeMx-1HqEzjVoDjFHRy27-VRa3NV4ezAxZ8klPrtqu3mv_z8WPBulGyZAPBH7pe3XHm6IuziGSKLbFQomX8TzG02" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiJlcrkwJCL9lo13rHWNNwAjVwIo6gacwMeCEd2ND2MMO8pXZCAR_quGHbPbdQjFWY09KgRwqGgJ1djaFG4A5MZ6h1RxiYQSCj_4NCeeMx-1HqEzjVoDjFHRy27-VRa3NV4ezAxZ8klPrtqu3mv_z8WPBulGyZAPBH7pe3XHm6IuziGSKLbFQomX8TzG02=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Next, an international panel of caregiver leaders from the USA, UK, Ireland and Brazil compared and contrasted barriers and facilitators for engineering supportive change in their respective countries. One UK example has stayed with me: <a href="https://www.hft.org.uk/resources-and-guidance/disability-rights-and-legal/care-act/?gclid=CjwKCAiAnL-sBhBnEiwAJRGiguQoy1_m57HloWckCniuDzokG8DtG3q_MYf1VM13fs5alGYtwl-ZaBoCLiwQAvD_BwE">The Care Act</a> states that caregivers are equal to patients and thus should have equal support from health and social systems. Dr. Nikki Dunne from Family Carers Ireland told us how her organization successfully lobbied to <a href="https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social-welfare/social-welfare-payments/carers/payments-to-carers/">pay family caregivers</a>. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfZzJ0UdMa-ergJc9MYEZRMNJ9VI9Xk8BB7PJSTXsKoZ7fjdZhTpzl7AuzHId5I6QFyUgVwDe9croh5x1ZsbGCMOcqMcJS5hJeUzZwPTyZVlBmbCAzINnmlrnvf4SvgSQXVMVR0BymBxxVsFLx_dmdSWXpT95OoaM5hvY-0HyWUbWuAYpKZ1A_dO4mN-sO" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1136" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfZzJ0UdMa-ergJc9MYEZRMNJ9VI9Xk8BB7PJSTXsKoZ7fjdZhTpzl7AuzHId5I6QFyUgVwDe9croh5x1ZsbGCMOcqMcJS5hJeUzZwPTyZVlBmbCAzINnmlrnvf4SvgSQXVMVR0BymBxxVsFLx_dmdSWXpT95OoaM5hvY-0HyWUbWuAYpKZ1A_dO4mN-sO=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In keeping with the idea that care provider wellbeing is intertwined with family caregiver wellbeing, I was keen to listen to a panel on just that subject. A number of front line caregivers told us how they felt invisible and under-valued. Their stories of commitment to caring in the face of racism and apathy brought me to tears. </span></p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIMQi_BvXm4G3vaAaKbxnTKuNsqCNJUr3XsEgb1qdjEJyT7yVCRrPU2BbIlT_Wp7fkNo-X4cJ6L7-JJPg8-JXXGYCs3usvt2vWkzpubdE6jfYosNw5UGKB9dJasy_x3K2NcVUblgqNLxP5JADFong7_z2CTkdZZLrUp3u1y5q4-_XHYCpzGMF4nWm6DW-J" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1136" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIMQi_BvXm4G3vaAaKbxnTKuNsqCNJUr3XsEgb1qdjEJyT7yVCRrPU2BbIlT_Wp7fkNo-X4cJ6L7-JJPg8-JXXGYCs3usvt2vWkzpubdE6jfYosNw5UGKB9dJasy_x3K2NcVUblgqNLxP5JADFong7_z2CTkdZZLrUp3u1y5q4-_XHYCpzGMF4nWm6DW-J=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">But we need our elected officials to put skin in the game. We heard from Members of Parliament representing each of the major political parties in Canada. This isn't just talk - we need our tax dollars to support families because caregivers are in crisis. Thankfully, our message was well received. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4xIFn2C1IjnEP142lXFy3O-CN8t-GC3RUc32KWqYDuGEGitpltehN1kKiyxSNYgSSR9z8gf3wgFPAN0U1Rc0k18oK0uVVtUl_HDeXRrtjhDIdRNNImn_oFeRizY_4SKQZab92A_xDmxvvcjlW-fH3KC4xDJXUaZbKzyUK6awP-iTYFRRGLrzso-bZf1iC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1136" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4xIFn2C1IjnEP142lXFy3O-CN8t-GC3RUc32KWqYDuGEGitpltehN1kKiyxSNYgSSR9z8gf3wgFPAN0U1Rc0k18oK0uVVtUl_HDeXRrtjhDIdRNNImn_oFeRizY_4SKQZab92A_xDmxvvcjlW-fH3KC4xDJXUaZbKzyUK6awP-iTYFRRGLrzso-bZf1iC=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">We heard about policy innovations in Canada and how we leveraged terrible pandemic lock-down challenges to achieve the broad acceptance of "essential family caregiver" in hospitals and long term care homes. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwFu6Xuvsto30vR0VmDHNk4fQr4ajcv5OhqnIUEtXQYtM_VGMomfcKG_CVDZ-mM6ozBtrOT3xHvCWziHNReT3rRlMZMxqc8-HKOP1_hH3zzqGdAXPFNiJYlZiuwnx5Yo_OOxHpP2RZc5F7ygfXt9VkKPsduo1J6SLh1Tepy3bR3Lx_gIDHMrIUeAMCJnkc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1136" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwFu6Xuvsto30vR0VmDHNk4fQr4ajcv5OhqnIUEtXQYtM_VGMomfcKG_CVDZ-mM6ozBtrOT3xHvCWziHNReT3rRlMZMxqc8-HKOP1_hH3zzqGdAXPFNiJYlZiuwnx5Yo_OOxHpP2RZc5F7ygfXt9VkKPsduo1J6SLh1Tepy3bR3Lx_gIDHMrIUeAMCJnkc=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Next, <a href="https://canadiancaregivingsummit.ca/dr-brian-goldman/">Dr. Brian Goldman</a> interviewed <a href="https://canadiancaregivingsummit.ca/baroness-jill-pitkeathley/">Baroness Jill Pitkeathley</a>, founder of Carers UK and "mother of the caregiving movement" worldwide. It was truly inspiring to hear the sum of her accomplishments over a lifetime of care advocacy. She challenged us, "You can do the same!" </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOCMenD2V-G-_rnu068XIOH6atoedQnGKEYg3iIFo3yljKWAHC7Lc0DynySqXZMsGC5RMITcHKVH7DU6zYdQHJU784a1IfBaSw4H40yHFKARMYBf_FEh-FJEMsmZVRAia4wk3n6erREWW2--0lTm7l5q55isEWsAn_nUDva4XnT-o-kzEpBlJHLcuwzfdT" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1136" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOCMenD2V-G-_rnu068XIOH6atoedQnGKEYg3iIFo3yljKWAHC7Lc0DynySqXZMsGC5RMITcHKVH7DU6zYdQHJU784a1IfBaSw4H40yHFKARMYBf_FEh-FJEMsmZVRAia4wk3n6erREWW2--0lTm7l5q55isEWsAn_nUDva4XnT-o-kzEpBlJHLcuwzfdT=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /><span style="background-color: white;">Finally, it was time to chat amongst ourselves and set policy priorities for caregiver support in Canada. The discussion was passionate and we could tell that change is coming. We ARE a movement and together, we are stronger. I will always remember the words of Allison Barkoff, "Big groups speak with louder voices." Well, it's time to be heard. I call for a National Caregiver Strategy in 2024 and I hope you'll raise your voice with mine.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Happy New Year, everyone!</span></p>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-41359419005353542682023-12-22T07:28:00.005-05:002023-12-22T07:28:31.239-05:00Isolated for the Holidays<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I haven't forgotten to write up Day 3 of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence Conference - I WILL get to it (all my notes are made and I can't wait to tell you what happened!). But, it's coming up to Christmas and I want to share something that is holiday-related. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A few days ago, I was browsing a facebook group for parents of children with disabilities. One mother asked for ideas on how to have fun at Christmas when extended family was unable to join and everyone felt blue that "nothing special" was going to happen over the holidays. Being homebound with loved ones who are mobility-challenged or too medically fragile to leave the house can be especially dispiriting at this time of year. But leave it to caregivers to share creative ideas about how to find the bright side and make happy family memories in spite of health challenges that necessitate being isolated at home over the holidays. Here are just some of great ideas I read with a few of my own thrown in for good measure.</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Ask at your local shelter whether they do "doggy days out" - some let people borrow a pet for a few hours of unconditional love and playtime</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Buy a Nerf gun and set up a targets (away from anything breakable) in the house and get ready to laugh</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Choose a seasonal movie and menu to match for every day of the holidays</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Christmas Bingo with "fabulous" prizes from the Dollar store</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Christmas-themed charades</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Build an epic fort and have hot chocolate in it</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Play "Ghost Charades": the first round is the usual way of playing. The second round is using the same set of clues, but this time acted out under a bedsheet</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Have a scavenger hunt in the house</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Bring out old photos and tell stories about them (or make up stories)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Have a beach party and rent a hot tub</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Have a singalong watch party of your favourite musical movie</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Wrap dollar store gifts and try to guess what's inside without unwrapping it - the closest guess wins the present</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Cook holiday food on Zoom or Facetime with family members - hanging out in the kitchen together can be fun</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Add your idea HERE</span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOP0U2BS4N2GUv6xO2Q9jUeY5eWXYm1tjOhNw4-WiDWZ2UqZc-fp8NdXq93wLeMV24x5PX3REWElVZ_dD89qUQ9ObKP5ekQd_60TjomRaOasZJS_AAiDPx4r1QRSgeX74UTJsVVLuF-pRcY7X9AC1ta06Op5edb0zyNIvrkohKNOHTzYc4lY7aWP-euBSq" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="2940" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOP0U2BS4N2GUv6xO2Q9jUeY5eWXYm1tjOhNw4-WiDWZ2UqZc-fp8NdXq93wLeMV24x5PX3REWElVZ_dD89qUQ9ObKP5ekQd_60TjomRaOasZJS_AAiDPx4r1QRSgeX74UTJsVVLuF-pRcY7X9AC1ta06Op5edb0zyNIvrkohKNOHTzYc4lY7aWP-euBSq=w400-h266" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Happy Holidays, everyone! And may 2024 bring caregivers recognition, appreciation and a National Caregiver Strategy! </span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-84282822925028866222023-11-28T15:08:00.002-05:002023-11-28T15:08:50.376-05:00The CCCE Summit Day 2 - Visit or Revisit the Highlights! <span style="font-size: large;">November 7th was Day 2 of the <a href="https://canadiancaregivingsummit.ca/">Canadian Caregiving Summit</a> and it was just as exciting as Day 1! </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The theme of Day 2 was "Defining the need for a national caregiving strategy." <a href="https://canadiancaregiving.org/">The Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence</a> told us that Canada (like many other countries) has reached a tipping point: many caregivers feel like they cannot go on, care providers are leaving the sector and people accessing care are struggling. The second day of the Summit focused on defining the need for a national caregiving strategy and its potential to transform the care economy for a brighter future of care. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVDfBzWaEKMpGL1pjIFWcLN5zWXjx4bQqNgWpsxwPIuTByDoGbyem08wXPhTEdY_JUfIKobBuPZ3DMRr_8BbUJ9k_pdgi7T32XyROiMkOdbGFDyeJKPdgmzgeCSNiSzKSQqkTnXc7yKkSrffik6Ey66uDbc6wRHLZaRiWP57BYofzOTYCjtYEpFrC56fga" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="1284" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVDfBzWaEKMpGL1pjIFWcLN5zWXjx4bQqNgWpsxwPIuTByDoGbyem08wXPhTEdY_JUfIKobBuPZ3DMRr_8BbUJ9k_pdgi7T32XyROiMkOdbGFDyeJKPdgmzgeCSNiSzKSQqkTnXc7yKkSrffik6Ey66uDbc6wRHLZaRiWP57BYofzOTYCjtYEpFrC56fga=w400-h255" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">We kicked off <a href="https://canadiancaregivingsummit.ca/category/morning-plenary/">the morning plenary</a> with a panel of Indigenous caregivers and experts discussing <a href="https://canadiancaregivingsummit.ca/caregiving-in-indigenous-communities-and-decolonizing-care/">"Caregiving in Indigenous Communities and Decolonizing Care."</a> Via video recording, we learned about the challenges and successes in supporting caregivers across 25 very remote communities in Nunavut. With 84% of the population identifying as Indigenous, any help for families must be culturally sensitive and accessible, even if the vast majority of communities are fly-in only. Panel moderator Angela Bradley from Community Living Toronto introduced fellow panelists Amber Ward (a second-year medical student at UBC), Holly Prince (researcher in the field of indigenous palliative care at Lakehead U) and Grant Bruno (Cree PhD candidate at the U of Alberta).
Hearing all the different perspectives on care and family in Indigenous communities reminded me that the relationship-based communities of our First Nations have much to teach us about interdependence.
Grant Bruno introduced a concept that we all talked about throughout the conference: care gifting. He said, "gifting care allows us to survive. Care as a transaction is not healthy. We shouldn't expect something back when we give care. In my community, we understand that ceremony is necessary and with it comes suffering, but also love, like when you dance in the hot sun for hours. I give care all the time every day to my family and to my friends. But my cup is overflowing because of ceremony, relationships and strength-based stories." </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6F7cx3MMVILKGyV8gJo4wAxwAsJLyVuaEnepEGsDcWWARqEtMvpqU0eXVAboNg8Zz_GYnCCmVAcR1N_5gWchD_wOqgCZJC3JWIONrQBWdjBaeyT9jQoip9k3lWD3-anGycTnENiBahQGlFtRF0rq2ygjc0aziEm0bk1PT3Jc12QGzVBdltE1YiyjeVyY/s6060/Nexus-Caregiving-Care-Providing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="6060" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6F7cx3MMVILKGyV8gJo4wAxwAsJLyVuaEnepEGsDcWWARqEtMvpqU0eXVAboNg8Zz_GYnCCmVAcR1N_5gWchD_wOqgCZJC3JWIONrQBWdjBaeyT9jQoip9k3lWD3-anGycTnENiBahQGlFtRF0rq2ygjc0aziEm0bk1PT3Jc12QGzVBdltE1YiyjeVyY/w400-h266/Nexus-Caregiving-Care-Providing.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I had the pleasure of moderating the next panel, a subject very close to my heart: <a href="https://canadiancaregivingsummit.ca/nexus-between-caregiving-and-care-providing/">The Nexus Between Caregiving and Care Providing</a>. Paul Knoll is a 51-year-old Ottawa-based artist with Down Syndrome. Paul lives with his sister, Helen Ries (co-founder of <a href="https://canadiancaregiving.org/siblingscanada/">Siblings Canada</a>) and Helen's husband Steffen. Paul described how his support workers honour privacy in the Knoll/Ries household and how family performs certain care acts that paid staff cannot. Why? Because Helen and Steffen know and love Paul best. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Next, we heard from Ann-Marie Binetti, a manager at Community Living Toronto who also cares for her parents at home. Ann-Marie didn't downplay the challenges of managing so many paid and unpaid care responsibilities in her life, but she also observed that, "I'm a better manager at home and more compassionate at work because of my role with my parents." </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Then Dr. Afolasade Fakolade spoke about her research in the area of caregiver wellbeing at Queen's University. "Caregiving is not a pathology", she said, "we need to protect caregivers and care providers simultaneously. Both need training in the core competencies of their roles. Just asking, "How are you doing?" is not good enough!" Finally, Dr. Heather Aldersey also from Queen's University spoke about a study she is currently undertaking called "Beyond Services." That study seeks to investigate ways and means of enabling and supporting natural care - the unpaid support in families that is so often unrecognized and undervalued. Both paid and unpaid support are necessary but balancing those out is tricky and families want choice in that balance. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The next panel <a href="https://canadiancaregivingsummit.ca/care-provider-workforce-meeting-the-needs/">"Care Provider Workforce: Meeting the Needs,"</a> moderated by Johnna Lowther from Caregivers Alberta first introduced Dr. Ito Peng, a care economy researcher from the University of Toronto who presented the "5 Rs of care work: Recognize, Reduce, Redistribute, Represent and Reward”. Dr. Barathi Sethi championed the idea of a caregiver-friendly workplace policy and emphasized how this would benefit the wellbeing of all, but especially racialized women working in the front lines of health care. Jhoey Dulaca of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change talked about the need to create pathways to Canadian citizenship for immigrants working in health care. John Yip, CEO of SE Health, surveyed all the home care staff at his company and found that their wellbeing was suffering because they feel so under-appreciated and undervalued. He is taking innovative steps to address this malaise in his workforce. Union representative Tyler Downey tackled the issue of racism and systemic oppression in health care systems. He challenged health care leaders to stop depending on barriers to the career growth of foreign-trained workers because they constitute cheap, skilled labour on the front lines. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The morning plenary sessions ended with a bang! In the panel, <a href="https://canadiancaregivingsummit.ca/how-to-build-a-federal-benefit-from-the-ground-up/">"How to Build a Federal Benefit from the Ground Up"</a>, we learned the story of two federal benefits that helped to lift Canadian caregivers and their families out of poverty. Al Etmanski shared his ten-year history developing the <a href="https://www.rdsp.com/">Registered Disability Savings Plan</a>, using a relationship-based approach to crafting solutions even when government bureaucrats say it cannot be done. The story of unlikely champions in government working together with broad public support was inspiring for us all. Tyler Meredith told the story of creating the <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/tax-return/completing-a-tax-return/deductions-credits-expenses/canada-caregiver-amount.html">Canada Caregiver Credit</a> from within the highest level of government where that idea originated. Finding the perfect partners at the perfect moment was a message I took away and, that change can happen with patience and perseverance! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJb5bJKdwPx4Me15YZfzb3DfhLLBwtU0ibJj5XF_UxlDfvsf-XWYo4WssvtrsAo26mHoL0AqWZqWdj0MsZRoEx_fAC0yAH9rRcvyQqV2Osnuelz1TmyMxDuG1uNxSzub3J0R_SngCciHN5BYFCxbQss_zL3_HzkW5Keu797oeItTLtU-KiS5Y_TAiRl-Q/s6060/Complex-Care.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="6060" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJb5bJKdwPx4Me15YZfzb3DfhLLBwtU0ibJj5XF_UxlDfvsf-XWYo4WssvtrsAo26mHoL0AqWZqWdj0MsZRoEx_fAC0yAH9rRcvyQqV2Osnuelz1TmyMxDuG1uNxSzub3J0R_SngCciHN5BYFCxbQss_zL3_HzkW5Keu797oeItTLtU-KiS5Y_TAiRl-Q/w400-h266/Complex-Care.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Breakout sessions in the afternoon were wide and varied. I couldn't attend all the sessions because many were concurrent, but I can say a bit about two. I moderated a session titled <a href="https://canadiancaregivingsummit.ca/round-the-clock-the-complexities-of-complex-care/">"Round the Clock: The Complexities of Complex Care."</a> The mother of a medically complex young man, Marcy White, identified two of her greatest challenges: the lack of proper training in home care nurses and the disorganized and dangerous transition of youth from pediatric to adult health care systems. Susan Bisaillon, CEO of Safehaven (a respite and residential facility for complex care children and adults) spoke about the need to "act now and apologize later" to meet extraordinary needs of her clients. Researcher Lin Li told us about the evidence that validates the testimonies of other panelists and added that family priorities also include how to construct a meaningful life for complex youth after school ends and how to enhance autonomy and independence when disabilities make that a huge challenge. Alex Munter, CEO of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario offered the vexing perspective of how the billing systems of provincial health care makes delivering complex care...complex. "To innovate, we come up against remarkable regulation. It's hard to serve complex patients when we have 80 accountability agreements with Ontario and each agreement relates to a different body part." Dr. Nathan Stall then introduced a perspective on complex care seniors. Together, we wondered whether the big tent approach of the CCCE movement could provide a template for innovation in getting better services for the miniscule percentage of the patient population and their families with the very highest needs. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkssA9Hh4oR37g4HaKm0TbBbnfP5Xqnx1WSJ2wc8ulGxtU8qKSVH79DNbNQKIBnnW-3B2mMOPmPOJeOBAiNRIwswqB09_PJVkTShOwH1DAbkPKLfDCGP9Rc38HWv9ZlianLLW4SbMXW6s-NmIF4T9P3147fXF4wbaJkEJJH2bRY4sd09U6M7hKO3a5Oq9/s4032/IMG_4047.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkssA9Hh4oR37g4HaKm0TbBbnfP5Xqnx1WSJ2wc8ulGxtU8qKSVH79DNbNQKIBnnW-3B2mMOPmPOJeOBAiNRIwswqB09_PJVkTShOwH1DAbkPKLfDCGP9Rc38HWv9ZlianLLW4SbMXW6s-NmIF4T9P3147fXF4wbaJkEJJH2bRY4sd09U6M7hKO3a5Oq9/w400-h300/IMG_4047.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">As the mother of a complex son, I was delighted to attend another panel on complex care titled <a href="https://canadiancaregivingsummit.ca/missing-from-the-data-working-parents-caring-for-medically-complex-children/">"Missing from the Data: Working Parents Caring for Medically Complex Children."</a> I identified with the dilemma expressed in that panel - that a lifetime of caring for a technologically dependent child meant loss of salary, pension and social opportunities. This lived experience is not documented in the literature. But it needs to be! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJyX5-GPIw3wkASkNfMAo3sJL4XVPsrBbISHyOU5UlHpgbEU2yCWqFbZ_Db0ADIZb2-whRrAjWTwCMBYKO3B9w1ZXf2u7CMmL90nydlD3qeW4vxOumTNKNrF8LVlhKOEIFbmPJTt1nNWM5jf9M-MRtMEszU5BU2PJ-xtzc5pNeeviOlcnr5C7vPIZ6XGY/s4032/IMG_4046.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJyX5-GPIw3wkASkNfMAo3sJL4XVPsrBbISHyOU5UlHpgbEU2yCWqFbZ_Db0ADIZb2-whRrAjWTwCMBYKO3B9w1ZXf2u7CMmL90nydlD3qeW4vxOumTNKNrF8LVlhKOEIFbmPJTt1nNWM5jf9M-MRtMEszU5BU2PJ-xtzc5pNeeviOlcnr5C7vPIZ6XGY/w400-h300/IMG_4046.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />My next blog post will provide a round-up of the last day of the CCCE Conference. I hope by reading these panel descriptions, you will be inspired to click this link to join the movement for caregiver change in Canada!</span></div>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-3445431079756356482023-11-20T09:39:00.000-05:002023-11-20T09:39:17.368-05:00The Canadian Caregiving Summit: Day 1 - All the Juicy Bits! <p style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNWnUTWonF39ioP62zE9-bGdd0ctVlO0WtUyVmfbzAgWXWfzAJoc4q-yUz-rQNRcHgZW38b1FI62AY61C9yGQo8kzWZU85MbBuI3gVONZxGtROktF00qaMURLdpbzPt-H6XePsnBvly8tonMtOOc0XNsLYevE--Nhc21UhCqymMI_gsv-i3zP4UlQrAvKO" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="109" data-original-width="300" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNWnUTWonF39ioP62zE9-bGdd0ctVlO0WtUyVmfbzAgWXWfzAJoc4q-yUz-rQNRcHgZW38b1FI62AY61C9yGQo8kzWZU85MbBuI3gVONZxGtROktF00qaMURLdpbzPt-H6XePsnBvly8tonMtOOc0XNsLYevE--Nhc21UhCqymMI_gsv-i3zP4UlQrAvKO=w400-h145" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">I had the pleasure and privilege of attending the Canadian Caregiving Summit from November 6-</span><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">8</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"> in Ottawa, Canada. I cannot begin to tell you how thrilling it was to join with so many national and international caregivers, researchers, front line workers and policymakers. Together, we kickstarted a movement for public policy change in Canada to support caregivers, both paid and unpaid. I know that I speak for everyone at the Summit when I say that we know change is coming! <u></u><u></u></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So, in a nutshell, here's what happened at the conference on Day 1: <u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Host and caregiver Ron Beleno</span><span style="color: black;"> introduced Elder and Chancellor of the University of Ottawa, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1489173439865061632/344543107975635648&source=gmail&ust=1700575317147000&usg=AOvVaw2lAeR-vs2-9EVDf7xKct0S" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1489173439865061632/344543107975635648" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Claudette Commanda</a> to give her blessing to us all. We felt a sense of history, love and belonging in her beautiful words. She talked about LOVE - a word that I believe belongs caregiving conversations!<u></u><u></u></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Next, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1489173439865061632/344543107975635648&source=gmail&ust=1700575317147000&usg=AOvVaw2lAeR-vs2-9EVDf7xKct0S" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1489173439865061632/344543107975635648" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Dr. Naomi Azrieli</a>, CEO and Chair of the Azrieli Family Foundation introduced the roots and context of the conference and the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1489173439865061632/344543107975635648&source=gmail&ust=1700575317147000&usg=AOvVaw2lAeR-vs2-9EVDf7xKct0S" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1489173439865061632/344543107975635648" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence</a>. Both the centre and the summit are powered by the Azrieli Foundation and it was Naomi who originally posed the idea of a national caregiver support initiative to the foundation board two and half years ago. Dr. Azrieli spoke movingly about working together to improve care in a fractured and violent world - a world on fire. She said, "We are grieving. We are stressed. But our initiative and many others besides, give us solace and energy. This summit gives us an incredible sense of possibility." Naomi described the moment when the idea of a caregiver support initiative first was proposed. "We didn't know what this idea would look like but we knew that Canadian caregivers were in crisis", she said, "and we are still in crisis. And it is only by bringing many voices together that we can enact change." It was a thrilling spark to ignite the discussions that would follow. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">Liv Mendelsohn was the next speaker. Liv is the Executive Director </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="color: black;">of CCCE and she took a deeply personal approach in her remarks. She described the circles and cycles of care in her family beginning with her mother Lillian and "Bubby" Myra. When Liv's babies were born, Lillian cradled them to give Liv a much needed rest. Myra's hand guided the very young Liv safely across the street and when Myra was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Myra moved into Liv's family home. Then it was Liv's hand that guided Myra safely across the street. When Mom Lillian was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Liv became caregiver again until her beloved mother died. Today, caring for her father, Liv is looking to the future. She observed that her children will care for her, bringing care in Liv's family full circle. <u></u><u></u></span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Then, Liv presented new data from a </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://canadiancaregiving.org/policy-and-research/survey-summary/&source=gmail&ust=1700575317147000&usg=AOvVaw2G-wuXV7qQh5M-1-gx_5xm" href="https://canadiancaregiving.org/policy-and-research/survey-summary/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">national survey of caregivers in Canada</a>.<span style="color: black;"> This is what we learned: <u></u><u></u></span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">90% of respondents need broader financial support<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">2/3 of caregivers report financial hardship that is tied to caregiving duties<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">94% need better access to home care services<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">only 25% feel well supported by government <u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">64% of care providers say higher pay is needed for job satisfaction<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1/3 of care providers have thought about leaving the profession due to low wages and burnout or stress</span></li></ul><div><u><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Next, distinguished health journalist at the Globe and Mail and author, <a href="https://www.andrepicard.com/about-2/">Andre Picard</a>, gave a keynote titled Why Care Matters. He set the stage by observing that people are living longer than ever before and in an aging society, that reality is worth celebrating, not catastrophising. Picard's speech centred on the theme of respect: respect for women who make up the majority of caregivers and respect for patients and their health care and dependency needs. He remarked that the 53,000 deaths of seniors from Covid in Canada constituted a "massacre of neglect" based on ageism and ableism that is embedded in our health policies. Picard called for a transfer of funding from long term care to home and community care in order to end "the apartheid that is the reality of over 400,000 Canadians living in institutional settings when they would rather be at home with support." Andre Picard reminded everyone, especially the policymakers in the room, that policy change with teeth and funding is required if we truly want a future that includes respect for people with care needs and their families. <u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Reciprocity in Care was the next panel, recorded by moderator Terrence Ho and siblings Amy and Holly Mathers. Born with a genetic disability causing severe kidney disease, Amy Mathers received a kidney transplant at a young age. The sisters bonded in adulthood over "survivor guilt" - Amy because a healthy child had died to save her life with a new kidney and Holly, because Amy was born with a genetic disease, not herself. They described the term "club sandwich caregiving" as opposed to simple "sandwich caregiving". It was a term that many conference-goers would use to describe their own situations with layered and multi-generational caregiving. <u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">There were many more exciting panels on November 6 and you can read about them <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1489173439865061632/344543107975635648&source=gmail&ust=1700575317147000&usg=AOvVaw2lAeR-vs2-9EVDf7xKct0S" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1489173439865061632/344543107975635648" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">HERE. </a><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLpOZ1s6SI_EEjXnGsffiAOA91qHbyZHVpmxkWhd5al6TIT9kBtVStC6FqSHemE6x_m7vX1o38_TzFQoHE6AwrmiVw4DYKhIHrX6x-D7EXU0iN_xHTbL_1ISNSkGhpKMnmq87DWcPEbuX7jJ3LNF30LaWJsFWaN9yWnlE3zqZ4a4If2wh901b9AYECnAdq/s5376/Donna-Thomson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5376" data-original-width="4032" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLpOZ1s6SI_EEjXnGsffiAOA91qHbyZHVpmxkWhd5al6TIT9kBtVStC6FqSHemE6x_m7vX1o38_TzFQoHE6AwrmiVw4DYKhIHrX6x-D7EXU0iN_xHTbL_1ISNSkGhpKMnmq87DWcPEbuX7jJ3LNF30LaWJsFWaN9yWnlE3zqZ4a4If2wh901b9AYECnAdq/w300-h400/Donna-Thomson.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;">Photo provided by CCCE and taken by <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.byfieldpitman.com/&source=gmail&ust=1700576741813000&usg=AOvVaw3nSGyUwtEzlvZtw4h9bGRU" href="https://www.byfieldpitman.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Byfield-Pitman</a></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">For me, the highlight of the day and of my working life happened at the Gala that evening. <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://canadiancaregiving.org/meet-our-canadian-caregiving-summit-award-winners/&source=gmail&ust=1700575317148000&usg=AOvVaw3seLvZKN8GbYIMwfkd8OcD" href="https://canadiancaregiving.org/meet-our-canadian-caregiving-summit-award-winners/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">I was awarded the Vickie Cammack Trailblazer Award</a>. <i>The Vickie Cammack Trailblazer Award is awarded to a passionate individual who has demonstrated unwavering dedication to changing the landscape for caregivers and/or care providers in Canada. </i>I was moved to tears because Vickie was my friend and my mentor. Her husband <a href="https://ashokacanada.org/committee/al-etmanski/">Al Etmanski</a>, Canada's most brilliant social innovator in disability poverty reduction, gave a speech as did Vickie's daughter, Lena. Vickie died on December 27, 2022 from pancreatic cancer. She was a personal hero and close friend. You can read more about her remarkable contributions to caring families <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1489173439865061632/344543107975635648&source=gmail&ust=1700575317148000&usg=AOvVaw3gIUdYuus-cuSgbGRbzBYO" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1489173439865061632/344543107975635648" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">HERE</a>. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My next blog post will take you through the highlights of the Canadian Caregiving Summit, Day 2! </span></p></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="im" style="background-color: white; color: #500050;"></span><span class="im" style="background-color: white; color: #500050;"></span><span class="im" style="background-color: white; color: #500050;"></span><span class="im" style="background-color: white; color: #500050;"></span></span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><u></u> </span></p></div><p></p>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-77676731117476478582023-11-11T09:27:00.001-05:002023-11-11T09:27:08.248-05:00Caring, Grieving and Remembering When the World's On Fire<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Last week I had the privilege of attending the <a href="https://canadiancaregivingsummit.ca/">Canadian Centre of Excellence (CCCE) Summit</a>. It was three days of continuously invigorating, challenging and hopeful discussions. I will write more in the coming days about the Summit and what I learned, but today I want to reflect on the meaning of care in times when part of the world is at war. Today is Remembrance Day and the news is full of unimaginable violence and brutality in the Middle East. The <a href="https://canadiancaregiving.org/">CCCE</a> is powered by the <a href="https://azrielifoundation.org/">Azrieli Foundation</a> and Naomi Azrieli in her opening remarks at the Summit reflected on how we must persevere in caring even when "the world is on fire." This is a post that I wrote on Remembrance Day in 2019 and it seems especially appropriate today. </i></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: x-large;">November is a sombre month. The leaves have fallen where I live, and the skies are steely gray. Rain changes to sleet and then back to rain again. Geese cry overhead.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">On the streets, most people are wearing poppies. "Lest we forget" is a warning phrase we see in bus stations, on facebook and on veteran sponsored ads on television. I won't forget the sacrifices made by our soldiers, because my Dad was one who fought in Europe during WW11. He was one of the lucky ones - he came back.</span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAo-r3upgQZANynfFd5SM9JrklDaAzZ051XnkKcDuAnqdVpfETS0r7w8ee_xgYebt6S6Gvo1KOcbWiwe7cYt6FDXmLDN7yumXpwLy0l3gFbEqD1lLEvHFZrkbwXt8s2Id5Xdc4gXkeVuAn2PO96jnvqedmxuDCBzQiYjXDJyhDr41Emqq0bu7lxa8zInV/s1080/Dadarmy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="916" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAo-r3upgQZANynfFd5SM9JrklDaAzZ051XnkKcDuAnqdVpfETS0r7w8ee_xgYebt6S6Gvo1KOcbWiwe7cYt6FDXmLDN7yumXpwLy0l3gFbEqD1lLEvHFZrkbwXt8s2Id5Xdc4gXkeVuAn2PO96jnvqedmxuDCBzQiYjXDJyhDr41Emqq0bu7lxa8zInV/w339-h400/Dadarmy.jpg" width="339" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">My Dad was kind, gentle, quiet and very funny. My sister and I adored him. In 1973, he suffered the first of three strokes and for two years until his death, my Mom, my sister and I cared for him at home.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Recently, I have been thinking a lot about the meaning of care over years - how care changes and how it changes us. Maybe it's the melancholy of November or perhaps it's the messages I see in my news feed about Caregiver Month and Remembrance Day (or Veterans Day as it's called in the US).</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Yesterday I listened to an extraordinary <a href="https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/920514">podcast interview</a> with <a href="https://ghsm.hms.harvard.edu/faculty-staff/arthur-michael-kleinman">Dr. Arthur Kleinman</a>, author of The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Illness-Narratives-Suffering-Healing-Condition/dp/0465032044/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1PAKVI3IHDYN6&keywords=the+illness+narratives+suffering%2C+healing%2C+and+the+human+condition&qid=1573078279&sprefix=the+illness+narr%2Caps%2C312&sr=8-1">Illness Narratives</a> and his latest book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Care-Education-Husband-Doctor/dp/0525559329/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36BXZBRNV19HG&keywords=the+soul+of+care+by+arthur+kleinman&qid=1573078321&sprefix=the+soul+of+care%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-1">The Soul of Care: The Moral Education of a Husband and a Doctor</a>. For ten years, Dr. Kleinman cared for his wife who had Alzheimer's. He also happens to be a medical anthropologist at Harvard. But here's what he said that reminded me of my own life of caring and of my Dad:</span><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: large;"><i>"The real issue about caregiving is that there's no Hollywood ending. So, how do we endure? This is the challenge. We are never sure that we can endure the unendurable. How do we keep going?<o:p></o:p></i></span><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Image result for arthur kleinman wife" height="266" src="https://news.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/AK-JK-L102_2500.jpg?w=1200&h=800&crop=1" width="400" /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: large;"><i>How many people come to a wall and feel that we can’t get over it but because of love, we get over it. Love and moral commitment. The last part is that care does not end with the death of the person - you care for memories after that. Building a story about one’s life and one’s family. And central to that is memory, memory of the care you gave and what went before… the time we spend developing those stories."<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: large;">I do remember my Dad and in that way, I continue caring for him. And this month, I salute every other caregiver who is with someone who needs them, finding a way to scale a wall of despair and exhaustion because of love.</span></div></div></div>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-25604864653123011582023-11-01T13:50:00.005-04:002023-11-01T14:58:03.811-04:00Here's a Concept That May Explain a LOT<p> A few months ago, I was chatting with the caregiving thought leader and founder of the <a href="https://www.careyearsacademy.com/about/">Caregiving Years Training Academy</a>, Denise Brown. Denise and I always have great conversations and this time, she mentioned an idea that really caught my attention. "You know why caregivers are so desperate?" she asked, "it's because they don't have their basic needs met." </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFXcpZ-LgvTAFQSP0zDmMEZNDH9U4zQYP-lILQvx2UJy38xEq7duT4o9276TfZ9e5vEKDW3BrzdRiiYpJFChMFKzIegomQtbtJiFU3THdd2ltPOJiXzGkCJ-tgfGdF442h67vR4xYiEWw3ANowclzWz-DkEmflezq_TQR0ygfGpLUCSiQ6bqHLjF1gwqgh" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="600" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFXcpZ-LgvTAFQSP0zDmMEZNDH9U4zQYP-lILQvx2UJy38xEq7duT4o9276TfZ9e5vEKDW3BrzdRiiYpJFChMFKzIegomQtbtJiFU3THdd2ltPOJiXzGkCJ-tgfGdF442h67vR4xYiEWw3ANowclzWz-DkEmflezq_TQR0ygfGpLUCSiQ6bqHLjF1gwqgh=w400-h134" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I've been thinking about this a lot. When I read about the real life trials and tribulations of overworked and overwrought caregivers, I ask myself, "which of their basic needs are not being met? Do they have enough rest? Do they have enough money to live without worry about food and shelter costs? Do they have time for reflection in order to process loss and grief? Do they have access to exercise and time outdoors?" The list goes on. Most often, I see that caregivers have multiple unmet needs. And these needs are BASIC, they are not frivolous. Basic needs are the minimum standard that humans need to survive, much less thrive. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiahJOu1JAERuItvK7S_BvNFl_lSYV6IpSfU8efNY1wjdU5v1HbE0hBdOvTZ8XsGJWxy8yXy83Aar3FPK3BJ9EW_bokTfe5wthwr1A9My-OMF56RTqb2Ki2RZFee2Zbi-Ha-udZPv2zybiuunN0_WtktrtVZcLvXR7wenDjOtylPf8_xzs0nrRd3-5jUQCd" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1024" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiahJOu1JAERuItvK7S_BvNFl_lSYV6IpSfU8efNY1wjdU5v1HbE0hBdOvTZ8XsGJWxy8yXy83Aar3FPK3BJ9EW_bokTfe5wthwr1A9My-OMF56RTqb2Ki2RZFee2Zbi-Ha-udZPv2zybiuunN0_WtktrtVZcLvXR7wenDjOtylPf8_xzs0nrRd3-5jUQCd=w400-h274" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>What if we had support programs that were designed to meet caregivers' basic needs? What would such a program look like? </p><p>Next week, the <a href="https://canadiancaregiving.org/">Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence</a> is holding its first ever <a href="https://canadiancaregivingsummit.ca/">Summit from November 6-8th in Ottawa. </a> Organizers will be seeking policy suggestions from the audience and I intend to suggest this one: that meeting caregivers' basic needs should be one framework for considering how to advocate for a national caregiver strategy. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7stMzUFj3JYZtGBNGNX837yAvNGesHrOUTSV1rCBW0eG1Nup5c7ds7uejPkYdqFD90etd-Q2h5xuwKmYmoIFsJQP9wZMhyBOEOCeGPQfsYu2qTVMOsoVToTHdx9_RMYRWb60UX8atZgQleRPBbQu4r3S6ZK8k9l32BPoEnV4joV-R9Fs_8AsE1v9J0jRG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="109" data-original-width="300" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7stMzUFj3JYZtGBNGNX837yAvNGesHrOUTSV1rCBW0eG1Nup5c7ds7uejPkYdqFD90etd-Q2h5xuwKmYmoIFsJQP9wZMhyBOEOCeGPQfsYu2qTVMOsoVToTHdx9_RMYRWb60UX8atZgQleRPBbQu4r3S6ZK8k9l32BPoEnV4joV-R9Fs_8AsE1v9J0jRG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">So, I would like to know from you: 1) Do you have your basic needs met? and 2) Do you have caregiver support policy ideas for the federal or provincial levels of government in Canada? </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank you for sharing! </span></span></p>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-50982949451797571652023-05-05T12:13:00.004-04:002023-05-05T12:13:42.881-04:00So THAT'S Why Caregivers Feel So Desperate! <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Last week, I had a fascinating chat with the caregiving guru (and I don't use that word lightly), <a href="https://www.careyearsacademy.com/denise/">Denise Brown</a>. Denise is the founder of the Caregiving Years Training Academy and has been guiding caregivers to resources and wisdom for almost 30 years. If you have a break in your day, grab a cup of tea or coffee and listen! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VxgnwCihHRo" width="320" youtube-src-id="VxgnwCihHRo"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Denise said something that really got me thinking. She remarked that both caregivers and those we care for are in a state of crisis <b>because we do not have our basic needs met</b>. I've been reflecting on the worst times in my caring life and I thought, "that's true. Those <b>were</b> the times that my needs were not met. And I was frantic that I wasn't meeting the needs of my loved ones too." </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So I began to ask myself, "What ARE basic human needs?" A quick google search led me to <a href="https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html">this article</a> on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow was the clever scientist who devised this theory showing that (moving from the bottom of the pyramid upwards) we need our physical needs met before we can address higher level emotional or spiritual needs. But <i>all </i>these needs are important in human flourishing. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhc_XKaK5cTm19yPXFR0ZZYgLsl95Zhde_z3VSuJHrJdm6SuHWx3sIKPsQ5MSPjI8UJ_bin5xvbg_MHE3wap0eHTXZ6LvegMsQmBM_xQasU4-4IFXm7lXrip4HwmlrbK0j4g0TTp8yYNlFfJI28bpfzq9z37r42xsVXp7Q73GBdYwKCWeGSdcPQ_mz9Mg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1920" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhc_XKaK5cTm19yPXFR0ZZYgLsl95Zhde_z3VSuJHrJdm6SuHWx3sIKPsQ5MSPjI8UJ_bin5xvbg_MHE3wap0eHTXZ6LvegMsQmBM_xQasU4-4IFXm7lXrip4HwmlrbK0j4g0TTp8yYNlFfJI28bpfzq9z37r42xsVXp7Q73GBdYwKCWeGSdcPQ_mz9Mg=w640-h640" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Looking at this pyramid, which of your needs are fulfilled? Which needs are not being met currently in your life? What about the person you care for? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Throughout the month of May, National Caregiver Month is celebrated across Canada to acknowledge the over 8 million people providing care to a family member, friend, neighbor or chosen family across the country. #CaregiverAware is a national campaign to raise awareness about the experiences of caregivers in Canada. I wonder how many of us have our basic needs met. Let's talk about our need for support and the right to an ordinary life that feels safe and liveable. Maybe Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs gives us the language to talk about getting the help we need to survive and thrive. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></div><br /><p></p>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-81968589477887020982023-04-10T09:40:00.005-04:002023-04-10T10:39:46.865-04:00Mother Lode: Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver<p> </p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">When <a href="https://www.queens.edu/faculty/zachary-white.html">Dr. Zachary White</a> and I were in the research phase of writing <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Unexpected-Journey-Caring-Transformation-Caregiver/dp/1538174057/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1681132777&sr=8-1">The Unexpected Journey of Caring</a>, 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 <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Lode-Confessions-Reluctant-Caregiver/dp/1647422833/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QZMC5OTJOL9M&keywords=mother+lode+book&qid=1681132938&sprefix=mother+lode+book%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-1">Mother Lode: Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver. </a></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9imkupWbnpzfdMzm9hCzSIO6PzNXnSVJWA_qgrluMMmJy9-33Qh1LjjDZw3icXof1nN2ee49aR7vw5dP-Vk23z0Ra7rLOmPfZf8eiDfGZntKk2UFsNQuX7ZDSJLcP8D_sW6skf1aOdNPwJmFHKR3n7er13chH1jtIhORwdWIH5B9fWjoKPLFpTmZ_-g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1650" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9imkupWbnpzfdMzm9hCzSIO6PzNXnSVJWA_qgrluMMmJy9-33Qh1LjjDZw3icXof1nN2ee49aR7vw5dP-Vk23z0Ra7rLOmPfZf8eiDfGZntKk2UFsNQuX7ZDSJLcP8D_sW6skf1aOdNPwJmFHKR3n7er13chH1jtIhORwdWIH5B9fWjoKPLFpTmZ_-g=w258-h400" width="258" /></a></div><br /></span><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">To anyone who has ever or WILL ever care for a parent, I recommend reading this book. The author fearlessly dissects her complicated relationship with her mother Stellajoe and her two sisters. The ghost of a beloved father is a shadowy presence throughout. Childhood relationships and old patterns become wholly unhelpful when Stellajoe becomes an unwilling dependent on her daughters. But it is Gretchen who has the greatest burden of care. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Regular readers of my blog will recall <a href="https://www.donnathomson.com/search?q=my+mother+the+original">my own caregiving journey with my Mom</a> and then <a href="https://www.donnathomson.com/2019/02/mining-for-truth-and-meaning-in.html">my complicated emotions</a> when she died in August of 2018. I think my mother and Stellajoe would have been friends – they would have had a gleeful competition about how they could exert a crazy kind of control and then watch their exasperated daughters slink away in tears of defeated frustration. Gretchen Staebler’s words struck a deep chord:
“This had seemed like a good idea. What the hell was I thinking?” </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I remember once, when my Mom had a life-threatening case of salmonella that she contracted <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/09/21/442335132/peanut-exec-gets-28-years-in-prison-for-deadly-salmonella-outbreak">from tainted peanuts</a>, I rushed home to Montreal from London. My sister was exhausted and I was living abroad. I knew that when I came home, I could devote all of my time and energy to Mom’s care without distraction of my own family’s needs. I could offer my sister a REAL break – it was the least I could do. So I came for two weeks and navigated my mother from the hospital back to her senior’s residence with a lot of highly recommended homecare workers I hired to assist. When I arrived back in the UK, I called my Mom. “I just want you to know that I made it back fine”, I said. Mom: “You’re going to be mad.” ME: “What? Why?” MOM: “I fired them all. I had nothing in common with them. They don’t ski.” I could have wept. Or screamed. Gretchen Staebler’s book brought all this back, but the pulsing vein of love on every page rang true for me too. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The author’s vow to stay with her mother for one year evaporates and a series of Stellajoe’s health crises confound the author’s attempts to carve out personal space and a life of her own. One year turns into nearly six.
But the author’s mind and heart are not idle. She is learning deep life lessons of what she can control and what she cannot. She is learning to make peace with her past, present and her future. She is learning to make peace with her mother. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> The author describes her newfound wisdom with truth and poignancy:
<i>As the miles rolled away, though, I slowly let go of my grip on
what I thought my life would be as I turned sixty and began to look
through the windshield rather than the rearview mirror
Mama and I are tied to each other by an
invisible elastic band, stretching only so far before reaching its capacity
and snapping us back together. </i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">
The title of my first book, <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Four-Walls-My-Freedom/dp/1770894799">The Four Walls of My Freedom</a> is taken from <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Seven-Storey-Mountain-50th-Anniversary/dp/0156010860/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1Y0WJEHWFEVJ8&keywords=seven+story+mountain+book&qid=1681133695&s=books&sprefix=seven+story+%2Cstripbooks%2C79&sr=1-2">Thomas Merton’s The Seven Storey Mountain</a> in which he writes about how when he arrived at his monastery for the first time, he found “the four walls of my new freedom.” When our son Nicholas was born with severe disabilities, my baby and I became homebound. We needed to discover a path to a liveable, even a good life within our four walls. Gretchen Staebler quotes Merton too, coming the same realization as me:
<i>Merton writes on how we have to come to terms with the idea that
our efforts, no matter how sincere, may be “worthless.” He reflects:
As you get used to the idea, you start more and more to concentrate
not on the results, but on the value, the rightness, the
truth of the work itself. . . . In the end, it is the reality of personal
relationship that saves everything.</i>
And later, <i>The central question….
would have to change from ‘What do I want?’ to ‘What is
available?’ </i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">
I have been thinking a lot about my own mother since reading this book. How I sat by the river when she died, wondering, “Who was my mother? Who was she to me and me to her? What is my story about her? The old stories don’t work anymore, they don’t feel true. I just don’t know.” Later, I realized that I had to forgive my mother for being imperfect. And I realized my task was to mother myself in a way that I needed so that I could be released by forgiveness to love her.
I have a lot in common with Gretchen Staebler and I bet every caregiver of a complicated mother does too. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Please read this book.
</span></div></div>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-85477523098762393182023-04-04T08:47:00.005-04:002023-04-04T08:47:40.152-04:00 Happy National Caregivers Day in Canada - Reasons for Hope<p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">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. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiw82FBdnAz1oLnMlsGispAGFwIER5guPWumoVKKrNIBhgiITCmmDPs4ckUMypntsT3e7-jygWnc_ohLBVHJtLgcdpRUoDItlhij2cOGomUoUVnt5g-e4SLftBAkno3K-Fgz2eaGmaeSI8Qh9YZWxwKnkXElAbQ5dTlEUdT5lt1ISy_KeZ8eIvPrQq7g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1151" data-original-width="1500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiw82FBdnAz1oLnMlsGispAGFwIER5guPWumoVKKrNIBhgiITCmmDPs4ckUMypntsT3e7-jygWnc_ohLBVHJtLgcdpRUoDItlhij2cOGomUoUVnt5g-e4SLftBAkno3K-Fgz2eaGmaeSI8Qh9YZWxwKnkXElAbQ5dTlEUdT5lt1ISy_KeZ8eIvPrQq7g" width="313" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The first reason I'm hopeful is that <a href="https://canadiancaregiving.org/">The Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence</a> 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 <a href="https://canadiancaregiving.org/caregivers/canadian-caregivers-advisory-network/">Canadian Advisory Network</a> and share your experience. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">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. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">If you are a parent of a child (any age) with disabilities, you might want to read about the <a href="https://www.canchild.ca/en/research-in-practice/family-engagement-program">Family Engagement in Research Program</a> 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 <a href="https://www.caregivercare.ca/">University of Alberta's Caregiver-Centred Care Program</a> (and tell your health care providers about it!). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I am hopeful because there's a growing conversation in Canada about how local neighbourhoods can organize to support our caring families. The <a href="https://resources.depaul.edu/abcd-institute/Pages/default.aspx">Asset-Based Community Development</a> 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. <a href="https://www.nurturedevelopment.org/who-we-are/cormac-russell/">Cormac Russell</a> 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. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ywYXgKMIm6Q" width="320" youtube-src-id="ywYXgKMIm6Q"></iframe></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">If this ideas intrigues you and offer you hope the way it does for me, then read Cormac's new book, <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-connected-community-discovering-the/9781523002528-item.html?ikwid=the+connected+community&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=3f1a76917e22c2c24edf6448bec17977">The Connected Community. </a> In the book, Cormac and ABCD co-founder <a href="https://johnmcknight.org/">John McKnight</a> <span style="letter-spacing: 0.45px;">offer a wealth of illustrative examples from around the world that will inspire you to explore your own community and discover its hidden treasures.</span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">What else gives me hope? Cori Carl's writing - I'm a subscriber to <a href="https://substack.com/profile/229580-cori-carl">her blog for The Caregiver Space</a>. 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. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">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! </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1BDpLjifiTFk2rzc52CXK8eelrTuBpYlOHesf74AEIAj38-JE7Y1bfWUQq12FXHA44MI5DhD05KzjsWm3wcnqlhLjFh1KIJ7-umkQAFoxxApw2b2QGTrt1hPUbcj0r_555t9wnjpHnV-bjZBzQ9ZlFWwF-ufX3oUZarj1qqX0szuOwT6xYk1P__Blw/s3264/IMG_1046.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1BDpLjifiTFk2rzc52CXK8eelrTuBpYlOHesf74AEIAj38-JE7Y1bfWUQq12FXHA44MI5DhD05KzjsWm3wcnqlhLjFh1KIJ7-umkQAFoxxApw2b2QGTrt1hPUbcj0r_555t9wnjpHnV-bjZBzQ9ZlFWwF-ufX3oUZarj1qqX0szuOwT6xYk1P__Blw/s320/IMG_1046.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">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. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-63795760027923386592023-02-24T08:56:00.002-05:002023-02-24T08:56:30.717-05:00Caregiver Recipe Exchange! <p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> 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." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">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. 😃</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I'll start. Here's a great recipe for <a href="https://downshiftology.com/recipes/greek-sheet-pan-chicken/">Greek Sheet Pan Chicken</a>. Serve with a microwave-able packet of rice and voila - delicious AND healthy dinner! </span></p><div class="wprm-recipe-summary wprm-block-text-normal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #535355; margin: 0px 0px 35px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This Greek sheet pan chicken is an easy, all-in-one dinner recipe with juicy chicken thighs nestled around vibrant, caramelized vegetables. With 450 five-star reviews, you can't go wrong!</span></span></div><div class="wprm-recipe-ingredients-container wprm-recipe-ingredients-no-images wprm-recipe-55213-ingredients-container wprm-block-text-normal wprm-ingredient-style-regular wprm-recipe-images-before" data-recipe="55213" data-servings="6" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #535355; counter-reset: wprm-advanced-list-counter 0; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 class="wprm-recipe-header wprm-recipe-ingredients-header wprm-block-text-normal wprm-align-left wprm-header-decoration-none" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(26, 26, 28); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: none; color: #1a1a1c; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.1; margin: 30px 0px 20px !important; padding-bottom: 15px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">INGREDIENTS</span></h3><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><div class="wprm-recipe-adjustable-servings-container wprm-recipe-adjustable-servings-55213-container wprm-toggle-container wprm-block-text-normal" data-initial-servings="" style="align-items: stretch; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 0px; border: none rgb(26, 26, 28); box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1c; display: inline-flex; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px 15px 20px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><button aria-label="Adjust servings by 1x" class="wprm-recipe-adjustable-servings wprm-toggle wprm-toggle-active" data-multiplier="1" data-recipe="55213" data-servings="6" href="#" style="background-color: #1a1a1c; border-color: rgb(26, 26, 28); border-radius: 0px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-shadow: none; color: white; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: inherit; padding: 5px 10px; text-transform: uppercase; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">1X</button><button aria-label="Adjust servings by 2x" class="wprm-recipe-adjustable-servings wprm-toggle" data-multiplier="2" data-recipe="55213" data-servings="6" href="#" style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: #1a1a1c; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: initial !important; background-repeat: initial !important; background-size: initial !important; border-color: rgb(26, 26, 28); border-radius: 0px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-shadow: none; color: white; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: inherit; padding: 5px 10px; text-transform: uppercase; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">2X</button><button aria-label="Adjust servings by 3x" class="wprm-recipe-adjustable-servings wprm-toggle" data-multiplier="3" data-recipe="55213" data-servings="6" href="#" style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: #1a1a1c; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: initial !important; background-repeat: initial !important; background-size: initial !important; border-color: rgb(26, 26, 28); border-radius: 0px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-shadow: none; color: white; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: inherit; padding: 5px 10px; text-transform: uppercase; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">3X</button></div><div class="wprm-unit-conversion-container wprm-unit-conversion-container-55213 wprm-unit-conversion-container-buttons wprm-block-text-normal" data-recipe-unit-system="1" style="align-items: stretch; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 0px; border: none rgb(26, 26, 28); box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1c; display: inline-flex; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px 15px 20px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><button aria-label="Change unit system to US Customary" class="wprm-unit-conversion wprmpuc-active" data-recipe="55213" data-system="1" href="#" style="background-color: #1a1a1c; border-color: rgb(26, 26, 28); border-radius: 0px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-shadow: none; color: white; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: inherit; padding: 5px 10px; text-transform: uppercase; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">US CUSTOMARY</button><button aria-label="Change unit system to Metric" class="wprm-unit-conversion" data-recipe="55213" data-system="2" href="#" style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: #1a1a1c; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: initial !important; background-repeat: initial !important; background-size: initial !important; border-color: rgb(26, 26, 28); border-radius: 0px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-shadow: none; color: white; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: inherit; padding: 5px 10px; text-transform: uppercase; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">METRIC</button></div></span><div class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-group" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><ul class="wprm-recipe-ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style: none; margin-block: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-inline-start: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="adthrive-ad adthrive-recipe adthrive-recipe-1 adthrive-ad-cls" data-google-query-id="COyKgOuirv0CFQ3rswodxN4DrA" id="AdThrive_Recipe_1_desktop" style="align-items: center; background: rgb(244, 244, 244); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: right; display: flex; flex-flow: column wrap; float: right; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; justify-content: flex-start; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 0px 20px 20px !important; min-height: 250px; min-width: 300px !important; overflow-x: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/18190176,22493919617/AdThrive_Recipe_1/57324b159b47b9d4313c96a0_0__container__" style="background: transparent; border: 0pt none; box-sizing: border-box; flex-basis: unset; flex-direction: column; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: sticky; top: 150px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><iframe aria-label="Advertisement" data-google-container-id="4" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="50" id="google_ads_iframe_/18190176,22493919617/AdThrive_Recipe_1/57324b159b47b9d4313c96a0_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/18190176,22493919617/AdThrive_Recipe_1/57324b159b47b9d4313c96a0_0" role="region" scrolling="no" style="background: transparent; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" tabindex="0" title="3rd party ad content" width="320"></iframe></span></div></div><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wprm-checkbox-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: -32px; line-height: 0.9em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -16px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><input aria-label=" ½ cup olive oil" class="wprm-checkbox" id="wprm-checkbox-0" style="margin: 0px !important; opacity: 0; width: 16px !important;" type="checkbox" /><label class="wprm-checkbox-label" for="wprm-checkbox-0" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 26px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></label></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">½</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">cup</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">olive oil</span></span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wprm-checkbox-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: -32px; line-height: 0.9em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -16px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><input aria-label=" 1 lemon, juiced (about 3 tablespoons)" class="wprm-checkbox" id="wprm-checkbox-1" style="margin: 0px !important; opacity: 0; width: 16px !important;" type="checkbox" /><label class="wprm-checkbox-label" for="wprm-checkbox-1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 26px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></label></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">lemon</span>, <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-notes wprm-recipe-ingredient-notes-normal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">juiced (about 3 tablespoons)</span></span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wprm-checkbox-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: -32px; line-height: 0.9em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -16px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><input aria-label=" 4 garlic cloves, minced" class="wprm-checkbox" id="wprm-checkbox-2" style="margin: 0px !important; opacity: 0; width: 16px !important;" type="checkbox" /><label class="wprm-checkbox-label" for="wprm-checkbox-2" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 26px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></label></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">garlic cloves</span>, <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-notes wprm-recipe-ingredient-notes-normal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">minced</span></span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wprm-checkbox-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: -32px; line-height: 0.9em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -16px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><input aria-label=" 2 teaspoon dried oregano" class="wprm-checkbox" id="wprm-checkbox-3" style="margin: 0px !important; opacity: 0; width: 16px !important;" type="checkbox" /><label class="wprm-checkbox-label" for="wprm-checkbox-3" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 26px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></label></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">teaspoon</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">dried oregano</span></span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wprm-checkbox-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: -32px; line-height: 0.9em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -16px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><input aria-label=" 1 teaspoon dried thyme" class="wprm-checkbox" id="wprm-checkbox-4" style="margin: 0px !important; opacity: 0; width: 16px !important;" type="checkbox" /><label class="wprm-checkbox-label" for="wprm-checkbox-4" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 26px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></label></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">teaspoon</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">dried thyme</span></span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wprm-checkbox-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: -32px; line-height: 0.9em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -16px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><input aria-label=" 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard" class="wprm-checkbox" id="wprm-checkbox-5" style="margin: 0px !important; opacity: 0; width: 16px !important;" type="checkbox" /><label class="wprm-checkbox-label" for="wprm-checkbox-5" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 26px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></label></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">teaspoon</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dijon mustard</span></span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wprm-checkbox-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: -32px; line-height: 0.9em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -16px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><input aria-label=" 1 teaspoon kosher salt" class="wprm-checkbox" id="wprm-checkbox-6" style="margin: 0px !important; opacity: 0; width: 16px !important;" type="checkbox" /><label class="wprm-checkbox-label" for="wprm-checkbox-6" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 26px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></label></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">teaspoon</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">kosher salt</span></span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wprm-checkbox-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: -32px; line-height: 0.9em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -16px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><input aria-label=" ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper" class="wprm-checkbox" id="wprm-checkbox-7" style="margin: 0px !important; opacity: 0; width: 16px !important;" type="checkbox" /><label class="wprm-checkbox-label" for="wprm-checkbox-7" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 26px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></label></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">½</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">teaspoon</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">freshly ground black pepper</span></span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wprm-checkbox-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: -32px; line-height: 0.9em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -16px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><input aria-label=" 6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on" class="wprm-checkbox" id="wprm-checkbox-8" style="margin: 0px !important; opacity: 0; width: 16px !important;" type="checkbox" /><label class="wprm-checkbox-label" for="wprm-checkbox-8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 26px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></label></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">6</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">chicken thighs</span>, <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-notes wprm-recipe-ingredient-notes-normal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">bone-in, skin-on</span></span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wprm-checkbox-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: -32px; line-height: 0.9em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -16px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><input aria-label=" 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced" class="wprm-checkbox" id="wprm-checkbox-9" style="margin: 0px !important; opacity: 0; width: 16px !important;" type="checkbox" /><label class="wprm-checkbox-label" for="wprm-checkbox-9" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 26px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></label></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">medium zucchini</span>, <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-notes wprm-recipe-ingredient-notes-normal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">halved lengthwise and sliced (or, if you don't have a zucchini, use a tin of artichoke hearts, drained - my suggestion)</span></span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wprm-checkbox-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: -32px; line-height: 0.9em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -16px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><input aria-label=" 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces" class="wprm-checkbox" id="wprm-checkbox-10" style="margin: 0px !important; opacity: 0; width: 16px !important;" type="checkbox" /><label class="wprm-checkbox-label" for="wprm-checkbox-10" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 26px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></label></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">yellow bell pepper</span>, <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-notes wprm-recipe-ingredient-notes-normal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">chopped into 1-inch pieces</span></span></li><div class="adthrive-ad adthrive-recipe adthrive-recipe-1 adthrive-ad-cls" data-google-query-id="CPvWyuuirv0CFQEIiAkdMVAMnA" id="AdThrive_Recipe_2_desktop" style="align-items: center; background: rgb(244, 244, 244); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: right; display: flex; flex-flow: column wrap; float: right; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; justify-content: flex-start; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 0px 20px 20px !important; min-height: 250px; min-width: 300px !important; overflow-x: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/18190176,22493919617/AdThrive_Recipe_2/57324b159b47b9d4313c96a0_0__container__" style="background: transparent; border: 0pt none; box-sizing: border-box; flex-basis: unset; flex-direction: column; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: sticky; top: 150px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><iframe aria-label="Advertisement" data-google-container-id="a" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="250" id="google_ads_iframe_/18190176,22493919617/AdThrive_Recipe_2/57324b159b47b9d4313c96a0_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/18190176,22493919617/AdThrive_Recipe_2/57324b159b47b9d4313c96a0_0" role="region" scrolling="no" style="background: transparent; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" tabindex="0" title="3rd party ad content" width="300"></iframe></span></div></div><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wprm-checkbox-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: -32px; line-height: 0.9em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -16px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><input aria-label=" ½ large red onion, thinly sliced into wedges" class="wprm-checkbox" id="wprm-checkbox-11" style="margin: 0px !important; opacity: 0; width: 16px !important;" type="checkbox" /><label class="wprm-checkbox-label" for="wprm-checkbox-11" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 26px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></label></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">½</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">large red onion</span>, <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-notes wprm-recipe-ingredient-notes-normal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thinly sliced into wedges</span></span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wprm-checkbox-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: -32px; line-height: 0.9em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -16px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><input aria-label=" 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes" class="wprm-checkbox" id="wprm-checkbox-12" style="margin: 0px !important; opacity: 0; width: 16px !important;" type="checkbox" /><label class="wprm-checkbox-label" for="wprm-checkbox-12" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 26px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></label></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">pint</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">cherry or grape tomatoes</span></span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wprm-checkbox-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: -32px; line-height: 0.9em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -16px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><input aria-label=" ½ cup kalamata olives, pitted" class="wprm-checkbox" id="wprm-checkbox-13" style="margin: 0px !important; opacity: 0; width: 16px !important;" type="checkbox" /><label class="wprm-checkbox-label" for="wprm-checkbox-13" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 26px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></label></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">½</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">cup</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">kalamata olives</span>, <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-notes wprm-recipe-ingredient-notes-normal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">pitted</span></span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wprm-checkbox-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: -32px; line-height: 0.9em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -16px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><input aria-label=" ¼ cup feta cheese" class="wprm-checkbox" id="wprm-checkbox-14" style="margin: 0px !important; opacity: 0; width: 16px !important;" type="checkbox" /><label class="wprm-checkbox-label" for="wprm-checkbox-14" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 26px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></label></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">¼</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">cup</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">feta cheese</span></span></li><li class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wprm-checkbox-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: -32px; line-height: 0.9em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -16px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><input aria-label=" 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley" class="wprm-checkbox" id="wprm-checkbox-15" style="margin: 0px !important; opacity: 0; width: 16px !important;" type="checkbox" /><label class="wprm-checkbox-label" for="wprm-checkbox-15" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 26px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></label></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">tablespoons</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">finely chopped fresh parsley</span></span></li></ul></div></div><div class="wprm-recipe-instructions-container wprm-recipe-55213-instructions-container wprm-block-text-normal" data-recipe="55213" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #535355; counter-reset: wprm-advanced-list-counter 0; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 class="wprm-recipe-header wprm-recipe-instructions-header wprm-block-text-bold wprm-align-left wprm-header-decoration-none wprm-header-has-actions" style="align-items: center; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(26, 26, 28); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: none; color: #1a1a1c; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; font-style: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.1; margin: 40px 0px 20px !important; padding-bottom: 15px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">INSTRUCTIONS </span></span><div class="wprm-recipe-media-toggle-container wprm-toggle-container wprm-block-text-normal" style="align-items: stretch; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(26, 26, 28); box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex-shrink: 0; font-weight: normal; margin: -4px 0px 0px 10px; opacity: 1; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><button aria-label="Show instruction media" class="wprm-recipe-media-toggle wprm-toggle wprm-toggle-active" data-recipe="55213" data-state="on" style="background-color: #1a1a1c; border-color: initial; border-radius: 0px; border-style: none; border-width: initial; box-shadow: none; color: white; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; 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font-size: large;"><circle cx="12" cy="12" data-color="color-2" fill="none" r="4" stroke-miterlimit="10"></circle><path d="M22,8v9a2,2,0,0,1-2,2H10" fill="none" stroke-miterlimit="10" stroke="#1a1a1c"></path><path d="M2,17V8A2,2,0,0,1,4,6H7L9,3h6l2.4,3.6" data-cap="butt" fill="none" stroke-linecap="butt" stroke-miterlimit="10" stroke="#1a1a1c"></path><line data-cap="butt" data-color="color-2" fill="none" stroke-linecap="butt" stroke-miterlimit="10" x1="23" x2="1" y1="1" y2="23"></line></span></span></button></div></h3><div class="wprm-recipe-instruction-group" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><ul class="wprm-advanced-list wprm-advanced-list-reset wprm-advanced-list-7459 wprm-recipe-instructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: wprm-advanced-list-counter 0; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style: none; margin-block: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-inline-start: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="adthrive-ad adthrive-recipe adthrive-recipe-1 adthrive-ad-cls" data-google-query-id="CK7Kp-uirv0CFXcIiAkdcWkG-w" id="AdThrive_Recipe_3_desktop" style="align-items: center; background: rgb(244, 244, 244); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: right; display: flex; flex-flow: column wrap; float: right; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; justify-content: flex-start; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 0px 20px 20px !important; min-height: 250px; min-width: 300px !important; overflow-x: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/18190176,22493919617/AdThrive_Recipe_3/57324b159b47b9d4313c96a0_0__container__" style="background: transparent; border: 0pt none; box-sizing: border-box; flex-basis: unset; flex-direction: column; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: sticky; top: 150px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><iframe aria-label="Advertisement" data-google-container-id="5" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="250" id="google_ads_iframe_/18190176,22493919617/AdThrive_Recipe_3/57324b159b47b9d4313c96a0_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/18190176,22493919617/AdThrive_Recipe_3/57324b159b47b9d4313c96a0_0" role="region" scrolling="no" style="background: transparent; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" tabindex="0" title="3rd party ad content" width="300"></iframe></span></div></div><li class="wprm-recipe-instruction" id="wprm-recipe-55213-step-0-0" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="wprm-recipe-instruction-text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">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.</span></span></div><div class="wprm-recipe-instruction-media wprm-recipe-instruction-image" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 5px 0px 15px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Making Greek chicken marinade in a bowl." class="attachment-medium size-medium entered lazyloaded" data-lazy-sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" data-lazy-src="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-1-600x400.jpg" data-lazy-srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-1-600x400.jpg 600w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-1-720x480.jpg 720w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-1-150x100.jpg 150w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-1.jpg 1400w" data-ll-status="loaded" data-pin-description="Greek Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner - Downshiftology" data-pin-title="Greek Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner - Downshiftology" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-1-600x400.jpg" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-1-600x400.jpg 600w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-1-720x480.jpg 720w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-1-150x100.jpg 150w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-1.jpg 1400w" style="background-attachment: initial; 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font-size: large;"><circle cx="18.5" cy="18.5" r="18" stroke-opacity=".5" stroke="#dee2e6"></circle><path d="M36.473 19.65C37.08 9.664 29.536 1.13 19.65.527" stroke="#FF7500"></path></span></div><iframe class="kargo-creative" height="168" style="background: transparent; border-style: none; border-width: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="300"></iframe></div></div></div><iframe aria-label="Advertisement" data-google-container-id="e" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="250" id="google_ads_iframe_/18190176,22493919617/AdThrive_Recipe_4/57324b159b47b9d4313c96a0_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/18190176,22493919617/AdThrive_Recipe_4/57324b159b47b9d4313c96a0_0" role="region" scrolling="no" style="background: transparent; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: bottom; visibility: hidden;" tabindex="0" title="3rd party ad content" width="300"></iframe></div></div><li class="wprm-recipe-instruction" id="wprm-recipe-55213-step-0-1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="wprm-recipe-instruction-text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">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.</span></span></div><div class="wprm-recipe-instruction-media wprm-recipe-instruction-image" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 5px 0px 15px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Marinating Greek chicken in a bowl for sheet pan dinner." class="attachment-medium size-medium entered lazyloaded" data-lazy-sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" data-lazy-src="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-2-600x400.jpg" data-lazy-srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-2-600x400.jpg 600w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-2-720x480.jpg 720w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-2-150x100.jpg 150w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-2.jpg 1400w" data-ll-status="loaded" data-pin-description="Greek Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner - Downshiftology" data-pin-title="Greek Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner - Downshiftology" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-2-600x400.jpg" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-2-600x400.jpg 600w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-2-720x480.jpg 720w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-2-150x100.jpg 150w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-2.jpg 1400w" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="600" /></div></li><li class="wprm-recipe-instruction" id="wprm-recipe-55213-step-0-2" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="wprm-recipe-instruction-text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">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.</span></span></div><div class="wprm-recipe-instruction-media wprm-recipe-instruction-image" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 5px 0px 15px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="A sheet pan with roasted vegetables before adding Greek chicken." class="attachment-medium size-medium entered lazyloaded" data-lazy-sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" data-lazy-src="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-3-600x400.jpg" data-lazy-srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-3-600x400.jpg 600w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-3-720x480.jpg 720w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-3-150x100.jpg 150w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-3.jpg 1400w" data-ll-status="loaded" data-pin-description="Greek Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner - Downshiftology" data-pin-title="Greek Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner - Downshiftology" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-3-600x400.jpg" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-3-600x400.jpg 600w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-3-720x480.jpg 720w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-3-150x100.jpg 150w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-3.jpg 1400w" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="600" /></div></li><li class="wprm-recipe-instruction" id="wprm-recipe-55213-step-0-3" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="wprm-recipe-instruction-text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Add the chicken thighs the baking sheet, nestling them around the veggies, and bake for 30 minutes.</span></span></div><div class="wprm-recipe-instruction-media wprm-recipe-instruction-image" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 5px 0px 15px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Greek chicken thighs with vegetables on a sheet pan." class="attachment-medium size-medium entered lazyloaded" data-lazy-sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" data-lazy-src="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-4-600x400.jpg" data-lazy-srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-4-600x400.jpg 600w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-4-720x480.jpg 720w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-4-150x100.jpg 150w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-4.jpg 1400w" data-ll-status="loaded" data-pin-description="Greek Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner - Downshiftology" data-pin-title="Greek Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner - Downshiftology" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-4-600x400.jpg" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-4-600x400.jpg 600w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-4-720x480.jpg 720w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-4-150x100.jpg 150w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-4.jpg 1400w" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="600" /></div></li><li class="wprm-recipe-instruction" id="wprm-recipe-55213-step-0-4" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="wprm-recipe-instruction-text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">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.</span></span></div><div class="wprm-recipe-instruction-media wprm-recipe-instruction-image" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 5px 0px 15px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="A large sheet pan with Greek chicken and roasted vegetables" class="attachment-medium size-medium entered lazyloaded" data-lazy-sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" data-lazy-src="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-5-600x400.jpg" data-lazy-srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-5-600x400.jpg 600w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-5-720x480.jpg 720w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-5-150x100.jpg 150w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-5.jpg 1400w" data-ll-status="loaded" data-pin-description="Greek Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner - Downshiftology" data-pin-title="Greek Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner - Downshiftology" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-5-600x400.jpg" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-5-600x400.jpg 600w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-5-720x480.jpg 720w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-5-150x100.jpg 150w, https://i2.wp.com/www.downshiftology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/How-to-Make-Greek-Sheet-Pan-Chicken-5.jpg 1400w" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="600" /></div></li><li class="wprm-recipe-instruction" id="wprm-recipe-55213-step-0-5" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="wprm-recipe-instruction-text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Sprinkle the chicken and vegetables with chopped fresh parsley before serving.</span></span></div></li><li class="wprm-recipe-instruction" id="wprm-recipe-55213-step-0-5" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 4px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Here are two old faves of mine: instant brownies and apple torte - you can mix them up with a fork or spoon!</span></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">BROWNIES:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1/2 cup of margarine or butter melted in the microwave</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">2 heaping dessert spoons of cocoa powder</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1 cup white sugar</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">2 eggs</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1 tsp vanilla</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">3/4 cup flour</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">chopped nuts if desired</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Mix before and after adding flour. Pour into greased 8" pan and bake at 350 just until slightly firm and pulling away from edges of pan (don't overbake or they won't be chewy). </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">APPLE TORTE:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">2 eggs</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1 1/2 cups sugar</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">3 good size apples peeled, cored and chopped (any kind of apples work)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">2 tsp baking powder</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1 cup flour </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">large pinch salt</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Raisins or nuts if you want</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Mix the eggs and sugar with a fork and then add all the other ingredients, mixing again. Pour into a pie plate or 8-9" greased pan. Bake at 350 until just golden brown on top. Great served with vanilla ice cream. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">What are your go-to caregiver favourite recipes? Share away! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div class="wprm-recipe-notes-container wprm-block-text-normal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #535355; font-family: proxima-nova, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="wprm-recipe-notes" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><ul style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style: none; margin-block: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-inline-start: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li></li></ul></div></div>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-65451345942614921232023-02-17T08:45:00.006-05:002023-02-17T08:45:56.310-05:00For National Caregiver Day, A Reflection on Receiving Care<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Yesterday I had a <a href="https://continuing.mcmaster.ca/programs/health-social-services/caregiving-essentials/webinars/">fascinating conversation</a> with Laurel Wittman, President of the <a href="https://wellspouse.org/">Well Spouse Association</a>. Laurel is a long-time carer for her husband who has MS. After chatting a while about spousal caregiving, I asked, "How does your husband care for you?" It was question that changed the direction of our conversation and helped us both reflect on the reciprocal nature of care. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Today on National Caregiver Day (USA), I want to share how I feel about receiving care. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My son Nicholas has multiple disabilities and throughout the course of his life, he has consoled me, lifted my spirits and certainly made me laugh. My Mom had dementia for the last ten years of her life but she would say, "Sit down little one. Let me give you a neck rub." When family members in my care offer me care, I am usually taken a bit by surprise. I pause and think, "Why yes, I need this, thank you!"</span></p><p><br /></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Care is a two way street and part of building a new paradigm for active citizenship will have to include some training in “<i>receiving</i>” care. Why do we so often believe that we have only one role as caregivers: to GIVE care?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9ltaMZhcBCp3_lr2jWBMX94cGXO9fACa1gSve4upwRF4c4JalonzLhKa7Si7ZoAZR4TdH9MDKOlQc7x7F8HllknONvBIms64vStgtIvWZy9et-SM988Wl-mS64VQ0m-x-0NS5p8tetcwTIlloDbRkbjPjUXKphDdFofCepKxUBnDESHgCrx-FJClJA/s4923/paolo-bendandi-s8Wrjl8-AeY-unsplash%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3227" data-original-width="4923" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9ltaMZhcBCp3_lr2jWBMX94cGXO9fACa1gSve4upwRF4c4JalonzLhKa7Si7ZoAZR4TdH9MDKOlQc7x7F8HllknONvBIms64vStgtIvWZy9et-SM988Wl-mS64VQ0m-x-0NS5p8tetcwTIlloDbRkbjPjUXKphDdFofCepKxUBnDESHgCrx-FJClJA/w400-h263/paolo-bendandi-s8Wrjl8-AeY-unsplash%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br />Age does not preclude anyone from enjoying the benefit of understanding the rules of engagement when it comes to receiving care. Children are taught to respect their parents’ efforts to provide for and nurture everyone in the family. Why should this expectation diminish in the case of disability or ageing? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br />Perhaps we need to start with ourselves. The next time I am having difficult day and a friend says “Is there anything I can do?” I plan to answer “Yes”, even if I can’t articulate what kind of help I need. The first step is accepting an offer of help. The second step is saying “Thank you!”<br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Nicholas knows how to be kind and when I am sad, he offers me hugs (his hugs are the BEST). He is such a good listener. I know that his nurses share stories of heartbreak and he nods empathetically. He is a compassionate and loving person. Why would anyone (especially me) believe that he can or should not give care because he is disabled?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Educators have managed to incorporate lessons in ethics and self-esteem in the curriculum. I propose we add some learning objectives to our teaching that relate to giving and receiving care. At lunch one day, children could experiment with feeding each other. In a care home, residents could set aside one hour per week to wash the face and hands of the care home staff, or simply listen to their problems. </span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">If we believe that relationships are the key to a good life </span><i style="background-color: white;">throughout</i><span style="background-color: white;"> life, it ensues that everyone will at some point give and at other points need to receive care. But the language, good manners and ease of transition from one role to another is key to getting good care into the social water supply.</span></span>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-63284062417165858312023-01-19T13:22:00.009-05:002023-01-19T13:24:36.683-05:00Quitting Time: A PM's Resignation Has Lessons for Caregivers<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Yesterday I learned that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacinda_Ardern">Jacinda Ardern</a>, Prime Minister of New Zealand who led her country for the past five years, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/19/jacinda-ardern-resigns-as-prime-minister-of-new-zealand">resigned unexpectedly</a>. In an emotional statement, she said, <span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">“I am human, politicians are human. We give all that we can for as long as we can. And then it’s time. And for me, it’s time." </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">Ardern said she had reflected over the summer break on whether she had the energy to continue in the role, and had concluded she did not. Then a</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">sked how she would like people to remember as Prime Minister, Ardern replied, "as someone who always who always tried to be kind." </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGzm7o0l4on53RLRUsLyu8tfpM2VjnXkCgfqUe4LFFT7FDK0nHww4vptr5CGnHKqLR01nsUGKiQZeOknVYzmSnSyMq8GftnyNPZsVbOTaq9DEWzEjwB-DGGOOjlVPQG9jD2FtvhWNCcrQ0ZX1JyfeFGDcDgZvPqcfG2If74kDj39xNOQ35BQwNcDDHOA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGzm7o0l4on53RLRUsLyu8tfpM2VjnXkCgfqUe4LFFT7FDK0nHww4vptr5CGnHKqLR01nsUGKiQZeOknVYzmSnSyMq8GftnyNPZsVbOTaq9DEWzEjwB-DGGOOjlVPQG9jD2FtvhWNCcrQ0ZX1JyfeFGDcDgZvPqcfG2If74kDj39xNOQ35BQwNcDDHOA=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have greatly admired Jacinda Ardern as someone who leads with integrity and great compassion. There was never any "spin" to her words - she always spoke naturally, with informed intelligence and with empathy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Ardern's resignation made me think about caregivers - the limits of our service and our self-awareness. What happens when we realize that we no longer have the necessary energy to continue? Can we resign? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">When my Mom moved into assisted living, I wondered if my sister and I had resigned. When our son moved into his medical group home, my husband and I questioned ourselves and we worried. Both of those moves turned out to be the best decisions for all concerned, but they did test our confidence as responsible caregivers at first. But then we realized that there is more than one way to give care and that a caregiver continues to lead (differently) with a loved one who lives outside the family home. Caregiving is a project and a caregiver can continue to be the project manager without being responsible for all the tasks that are necessary to a loved one receiving good care. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">One of the activities that keeps me busy these days (and I love it!) is co-designing and co-instructing a suite of courses titled <a href="https://www.canchild.ca/en/research-in-practice/family-engagement-in-research-course">Family Engagement in Research at McMaster University</a>. Last semester we launched our first cohort of a new Leadership Academy in which childhood disability researchers partner with parent partners in research to gain leadership skills. Our instructor team identified 5 core competencies for leading this blended approach to research leadership in institutional or community settings. Those competencies are self-awareness, empathy and compassion, communication, advocacy and entrepreneurship. Certainly Jacinda Ardern embodies these competencies in my opinion, but so do a lot of fellow caregivers I know. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">For the good of our health and even survival, we need to recognize when it's time to step back from a lead role in care. And it's a matter of justice that we should be able to do so without putting our loved one at risk. We should communicate that need to step back with empathy and compassion, but we should also advocate strongly and strategically for our own wellbeing. And we should employ an entrepreneurial approach to identifying opportunities to follow through on our action plan. Sometimes stepping back and sharing the reality of an "empty tank" is good leadership.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tTDJujLqHJk" width="320" youtube-src-id="tTDJujLqHJk"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-67585431184844453502022-12-17T10:28:00.003-05:002022-12-17T10:28:42.275-05:00The Twelve Days of a Caregiver Christmas<p> </p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="margin: 20px 0px 0px; position: relative;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is a reprise of a Christmas post from 2017. Hasn't the world changed since then?! Then again, time moves more slowly in caregiving. Merry Christmas, everyone! And may we all stay safe and healthy in 2023. </span></span></span></h3><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="margin: 20px 0px 0px; position: relative;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">My words to the carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas" are fun, but they reveal a truth about caregiving, too. We all begin with a task or two. "Oh, it's not much", we think. "That's no trouble at all." And it isn't. But then two tasks becomes four and four becomes eight, and so on. Soon, we discover that we are very, very tired. But nevertheless, we persevere. So here's to all of you in celebration of the loving care you provide every day of the year.</span></i></h3><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3230619904973946904" itemprop="description articleBody" style="line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 550px;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>On the First Day of Christmas</b> on my list of things to do: I cooked dinner for my fa-mi-ly.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>On the Second Day of Christmas</b> on my list of things to do: I shopped for my Mom and cooked dinner for my fa-mi-ly.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>On the Third Day of Christmas</b> on my list of things to do: I called the doc, shopped for my Mom and cooked dinner for my fa-mi-ly.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>On the Fourth Day of Christmas</b> on my list of things to do, I picked up meds, called the doc, shopped for my Mom and cooked dinner for my fa-mi-ly.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>On the Fifth Day of Christmas</b> on my list of things to do, we went to E-merg! ... picked up meds, called the doc, shopped for my Mom and cooked dinner for my fa-mi-ly.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>On the Sixth Day of Christmas</b> on my list of things to do, I did six loads of laundry, went to E-merg! ... picked up meds, called the doc, shopped for my Mom and cooked dinner for my fa-mi-ly.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>On the Seventh Day of Christmas</b> on my list of things to do, I bought seven gifts for nurses, six loads of laundry, went to E-merg! ... picked up meds, called the doc, shopped for my Mom and cooked dinner for my fa-mi-ly.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>On the Eighth Day of Christmas</b> on my list of things to do, I disinfected bathrooms, seven gifts for nurses, six loads of laundry, went to E-merg! ... picked up meds, called the doc, shopped for my Mom and cooked dinner for my fa-mi-ly.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>On the Ninth Day of Christmas</b> on my list of things to do, I ordered the meds, disinfected bathrooms, seven gifts for nurses, six loads of laundry, went to E-merg! ... picked up meds, called the doc, shopped for my Mom and cooked dinner for my fa-mi-ly.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>On the Tenth Day of Christmas</b> on my list of things to do, I calmed jangled nerves, ordered the meds, disinfected bathrooms, seven gifts for nurses, six loads of laundry, went to E-merg! ... picked up meds, called the doc, shopped for my Mom and cooked dinner for my fa-mi-ly.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>On the Eleventh Day of Christmas</b> on my list of things to do, I wrapped all the presents, calmed jangled nerves, ordered the meds, disinfected bathrooms, seven gifts for nurses, six loads of laundry, went to E-merg! ... picked up meds, called the doc, shopped for my Mom and cooked dinner for my fa-mi-ly.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>On the Twelfth Day of Christmas</b> on my list of things to do, I poured myself a drink, calmed jangled nerves, ordered the meds, disinfected bathrooms, seven gifts for nurses, six loads of laundry, went to E-merg! ... picked up meds, called the doc, shopped for my Mom and cooked dinner for my fa-mi-ly.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: inherit;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE!</span></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: inherit;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">From me and my family to you and all of your loved ones, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah this holiday season. May 2023 be a good year for all of us! xox</span></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></span></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: inherit;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3tDVM0QzpdXGugfWx5h_7H64-Epen62bVa3U2uhLViUJU0VmW07C7YWX6nKvbPWIpJx_IDB9GKci1ULS0Kgssyc8KKbDvSi6QFwNv8joXqeNYslvUW2dvg2RqGUSY1VFM1mMkcMQqNEa/s1600/DSC06168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #0065ff; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3tDVM0QzpdXGugfWx5h_7H64-Epen62bVa3U2uhLViUJU0VmW07C7YWX6nKvbPWIpJx_IDB9GKci1ULS0Kgssyc8KKbDvSi6QFwNv8joXqeNYslvUW2dvg2RqGUSY1VFM1mMkcMQqNEa/w400-h266/DSC06168.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><br /></div></div>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-13890901431941655302022-11-26T17:05:00.001-05:002022-11-26T17:05:20.885-05:00When a Book Hits So Close to Home: The Lady With The Crown<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIC2iq9fvX-SF1XaZio8NeGJ1g4-KMr_L0nWSYMQ3K9b4Z7bAIkOoOwcXPgAeticFz_IiC6PFasRatFKgHFUxOYmjylsktAwKQWe6nV7aEkcwhnzEtLoq3PqjM0PUWrXRt_AazSG85IrrD_CynOzGvGA9md6laO9TxslT34gPgPUL0lHL3CRU4aj71ow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIC2iq9fvX-SF1XaZio8NeGJ1g4-KMr_L0nWSYMQ3K9b4Z7bAIkOoOwcXPgAeticFz_IiC6PFasRatFKgHFUxOYmjylsktAwKQWe6nV7aEkcwhnzEtLoq3PqjM0PUWrXRt_AazSG85IrrD_CynOzGvGA9md6laO9TxslT34gPgPUL0lHL3CRU4aj71ow=w416-h640" width="416" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When I was very young, I wished for some big event to happen to me, something truly dramatic - tragic, even. I hadn't yet heard the expression "Be careful what you wish for." </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I was 16 when my father had his first of three strokes. I remember the day - I was sitting in class. The sun was streaming through the window (for some reason I recall white, very bright light) and when the principle called me to the hallway, I felt special and important. My next memory is standing in the office, telephone in hand. My mother was telling me that Dad was in the hospital and had suffered a stroke. I must come immediately. What was a stroke? I don't remember how I got to the hospital, but I do recall standing at the foot of my Dad's hospital bed beside my sister, frozen in fear as he urgently "spoke" to me and my sister. Except it wasn't speech, it was garbled nonsense. I fled. Years later, I reflected sadly that he was probably trying so hard to reassure us that he was fine. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I've just finished reading <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Crown-Story-Resilience/dp/1733034471/ref=sr_1_1?crid=WH8NPD95BSIL&keywords=the+lady+with+the+crown&qid=1669492875&sprefix=the+lady+with+the+crown%2Caps%2C90&sr=8-1">The Lady With the Crown - A Story of Resilience by Kathleen Canrinus</a>. I devoured this riveting memoir over the course of today. I literally could not put it down. Kathleen's mother Dorothy was a larger than life, boisterous and willful community leader of sorts before a traumatic brain injury profoundly changed her and shattered the family life that Kathleen had known. Kathleen and her brother were teenagers, transformed in a day from sullen and distracted to urgently longing for their Mom to whole again. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This book is for anyone who loves a great memoir, that goes without saying. But it will be especially meaningful (as it was for me) for those who have given intensive care to a loved one over many years. And Kathleen Canrinus did this for her mother in spades. The personal transformations that took place in the author's family and the making peace with unfairness is what struck me. Like my own mother whom I've written about here many times (such as <a href="https://www.donnathomson.com/2018/09/i-thought-i-would-be-ok-but-im-not.html">HERE</a> shortly after her death), Dorothy was a potent mix of sometimes infuriating opposites. But the author does not waste words, nor does she romanticise the events of her caregiving relationship. The language is spare and sometimes as she described disastrous events, I imagined her typing out the words, head turned away and eyes shut tight. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But this is a book that is ultimately uplifting. Because although Kathleen Canrinus' caregiving experience was completely unique, she generously invites readers like me to reflect on our own lifetime of caring as we empathise with hers. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I highly recommend this book and I'm going to give it to my sister. Then we're going to pick apart our memories and continue the job of making peace with what happened in our family. </span></p>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-83431547623783712152022-11-22T16:10:00.005-05:002022-11-22T16:10:58.279-05:00All Together Now! The Power of Teamwork in Caregiving<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIzdBNP1ZMWqLoXr5F59Y5MRHsq1d3gDVZgaU6kG1BnY6OgfElUc4pK7_J73NPj2UKhSRedevscv2MvKVZBKhYBSrIwlWJbhNWh-SKkh5wLQkd-WqNbfo6Fw-s0XOKC084ApXleZ0ZyYGrAdGV_kbTMtA8laK-0KyeWxwE8G0aG2OYJZ4KKNP-ILGqw/s499/Thepowerofteamwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #0065ff; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIzdBNP1ZMWqLoXr5F59Y5MRHsq1d3gDVZgaU6kG1BnY6OgfElUc4pK7_J73NPj2UKhSRedevscv2MvKVZBKhYBSrIwlWJbhNWh-SKkh5wLQkd-WqNbfo6Fw-s0XOKC084ApXleZ0ZyYGrAdGV_kbTMtA8laK-0KyeWxwE8G0aG2OYJZ4KKNP-ILGqw/w268-h400/Thepowerofteamwork.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="268" /></a></div><p><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I actually published this post a few months ago but I want to reprise it because (pause for happy dance), I am hosting Dr. Brian Goldman on our next Caregiving Essentials webinar to talk about teamwork in caregiving! Join us for what promises to be a rich, rich discussion about how to effectively create and collaborate on care teams at home and in institutional settings. Free but you have to<a href="https://continuing.mcmaster.ca/events/dr-brian-goldman-on-the-power-of-teamwork-in-caregiving/"> register to get the link - click HERE! </a></i></span></p><p style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today I finished reading <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Power-Teamwork-Work-Better-Together/dp/144346399X/ref=asc_df_144346399X/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=578819592852&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4442139672510036125&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9104705&hvtargid=pla-1695491173887&psc=1" style="text-decoration-line: none;">The Power of Teamwork: How We Can All Work Better Together by Dr. Brian Goldman</a> and I had to share my excitement about it right away. There are SO many lessons here for family caregivers and the circles of care that we manage. I've written about Dr. Goldman before, notably in a review <a href="https://www.donnathomson.com/2018/06/what-power-of-kindness-means-to.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;">I penned of his excellent The Power of Kindness</a> back in 2018. Dr. Goldman is an ER doctor in Toronto, <i>and</i> he is a compelling storyteller. He's the host of the CBC, widely syndicated <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/whitecoat" style="text-decoration-line: none;">White Coat/Black Art</a> show as well as the podcast, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/410-the-dose?cmp=DM_SEM_Listen_Titles" style="text-decoration-line: none;">The Dose</a>. When Dr. Brian Goldman talks, I listen and learn.</span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">So let me tell you what I learned about caregiving and leadership from The Power of Teamwork. I learned that groups are not the same as teams (we KNOW this but seeing the words in print made me stop and reflect on all the times I've been frustrated in "team meetings" for my son or my Mom and now I understand that it was because people at the table were actually in groups - groups that excluded me). I learned the term "flattened hierarchies." I love that! We are all human, we each have a particular role to play in a project of care, a role that is based on our talents, skills and knowledge. And from the team, leaders naturally emerge. And their roles aren't static; they can change, depending the situation. In his book, Goldman tells the story of Dr. Kevin Menes, an ER doc who happened to be working a shift on the night of the worst mass shooting in US history. Fifty-eight people were killed on October 1, 2017, when <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Paddock" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Stephen Paddock">Stephen Paddock</a> opened fire on the crowd attending the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_91_Harvest" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Route 91 Harvest">Route 91 Harvest</a> music festival on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. Nearby Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center treated 199 patients in just six hours. Dr. Kevin Menes took charge of operations. He was an exemplary team leader. Rules were broken to meet the needs of the moment, hierarchies were flattened. It is a riveting story of coordinated care in the most horrendous and chaotic circumstances.</span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dr. Trevor Jain, a young doctor on the scene of a terrible Swissair plane crash near Halifax in 1998, set up a massive makeshift mortuary and set about identifying the remains of hundreds of deceased passengers. He reflected on his own experience and that of Dr. Menes, "If you let people do what they're trained to do, and grow into the role and encourage it, you as a leader, it's just going to make you look outstanding. It's not insecurity. A leader should never be insecure. They (the other team members) are just going to make you look phenomenal."</span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are so many lessons for caregivers in The Power of Teamwork. If you feel like your circle of care has "sides" or you just want to be a more effective care team leader, buy this book now! It is wonderful.</span></span></p>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-14982084079604440452022-11-12T09:40:00.000-05:002022-11-12T09:40:00.298-05:00A Man Finds His Purpose in Caregiving | Ousmane | The New Yorker Screeni...<iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/pG9IJVzHV7M" width="480"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Lately I've been talking about "slivers of time" for self-care or reflection. If you can find half an hour today, watch this short film about a homesick immigrant who finds purpose and meaning in caring for an elderly neighbour with dementia. It's a quiet film shot in my hometown of Montreal. I found it to be so poignant in its many messages about family and the need to give and receive care. I send a virtual hug to everyone in the Caregivers' Living Room today. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Donna</span></div>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-9722282615714560582022-11-07T12:44:00.007-05:002022-11-07T12:44:56.123-05:00Canada's Caregiving Crisis and HOW TO FIX IT<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguEpwAP_vF-GwrHUgzg4pG9tjTNF35ypvRlTovzs2fbaV2dN2JxJjNnClncBqDIbJLzzrqb2ilTbVvf3SShDejeoxaUVgiHwB3i_FPCtp-RN7opvw4w6sjQBvKU3qIVMcCWFwaHVTr1j2hS_CXdIyCtOopa7o82hT8RNvQ4674XD2pTv57jn1QLbNeEw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguEpwAP_vF-GwrHUgzg4pG9tjTNF35ypvRlTovzs2fbaV2dN2JxJjNnClncBqDIbJLzzrqb2ilTbVvf3SShDejeoxaUVgiHwB3i_FPCtp-RN7opvw4w6sjQBvKU3qIVMcCWFwaHVTr1j2hS_CXdIyCtOopa7o82hT8RNvQ4674XD2pTv57jn1QLbNeEw=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Buckle up because today, the new <a href="https://canadiancaregiving.org/">Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence</a> released a white paper on the crisis state of caregiving in Canada and HOW TO FIX IT. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The report is titled <a href="https://canadiancaregiving.org/giving-care/">Giving Care: An approach to a better caregiving landscape in Canada. </a> If you're a policy nerd like me, you can download the full report or, if you'd prefer the short version, just click the link for "Executive Summary." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In a nutshell, the report identifies our biggest challenges this way: </span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #221f1f; text-indent: -13px;">Services for caregivers and care recipients are insufficient, fragmented and difficult to access</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #221f1f; text-indent: -13px;"> </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Financial supports are insufficient and ineffectively designed<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #221f1f; text-indent: -13px;"> </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The care provider workforce is in crisis<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #221f1f; text-indent: -13px;"> </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Supports for caregivers do not meet their current and future needs<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #221f1f; text-indent: -13px;"> </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Leaves and protections for employed caregivers are inadequate</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The report boldly asserts that caregiving is the next policy frontier for our country (I agree!). And here's what's being proposed to our elected officials: </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="p1" style="color: #221f1f; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 4px 0px;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Create a co-ordinated approach to caregiving, through: a common and inclusive definition of caregiving; a national caregiving strategy; provincial caregiving legislation; and international caregiver recognition<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Improve, expand and invest in services for care recipients and caregivers, through: home and community care funding; mandatory assessment of caregiver needs; integrated care across services and sectors; and public navigator roles<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Develop strategies for supporting employed caregivers, through: expanded leaves and benefits, flexible work legislation and promotion, caregiver-friendly workplaces; and government leadership<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Develop financial supports that reflect the value of caregiving, through: inclusive tax credits and benefits; caregiver allowances or income; and increased supports for people with disabilities<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Develop the workforce and improve conditions for care providers, through: competitive wages and increased funding; professionalization of care provider roles; support and protection for migrants to fill workforce gaps; and a workforce development strategy.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I want Canada to be the world's <b>best place</b> for caregivers to live and work. If we join hands and create a social movement for change, we can make that happen. Please share this blog post with your friends and family. And talk about these ideas online using the hashtag #CdnCaregiving! </span></div><p></p>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-40982107340122153082022-11-01T14:24:00.010-04:002022-11-01T14:26:25.777-04:00November Caregiver Support Challenge<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsZPYJjJl1lJH49osRhItpUeNoEzvIlq_zrGQ93nLAMQd1gUKWNM9clQJ6lGxb4HhlZYFNqJTAdypNNfsm21_0BFfwvRU4NbCVdOzc30BPYpxJNetatrrIhpd27lRvjbnbELHzmSRJYIwDICFh_mYRryum61hAB7wQillC_x6yjhlGNJ__yXNDcGb-uA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1742" data-original-width="3333" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsZPYJjJl1lJH49osRhItpUeNoEzvIlq_zrGQ93nLAMQd1gUKWNM9clQJ6lGxb4HhlZYFNqJTAdypNNfsm21_0BFfwvRU4NbCVdOzc30BPYpxJNetatrrIhpd27lRvjbnbELHzmSRJYIwDICFh_mYRryum61hAB7wQillC_x6yjhlGNJ__yXNDcGb-uA=w400-h209" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">November is many things. For Canadians it's the dark month, the lead-up to Christmas. For Americans, it's Thanksgiving month. For all of us, it is National Caregivers Month (well, it's really a designation that originated in the US, but ALL of us can and should claim it too because... why not?!)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This year's theme for National Family Caregivers Month is "Caregiving Around the Clock." It's a great theme and one that I'm sure resonates with every one of us. Because we DO give care around the clock. We are on call or actively giving care 24/7 without a break. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Let's use this November to reach out to our extended families, friends, neighbors and others to tell them we need support. When someone asks, "How can I help?", have three responses at the ready. Maybe you can ask a sibling to sit with your loved one for a couple of hours. Maybe you can ask for a meal delivery. Or maybe you can ask them to listen when you explain a typical day in your caring life. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Ask for what you need" is my new mantra and this November is a good opportunity to do just that. Best of luck and please let us know in the comments how your November support challenge works out. </span></p>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-79512806950068062742022-09-26T14:32:00.004-04:002022-09-26T14:32:57.519-04:00Artists as Designers of Dying and Funerals<p> <span style="font-size: large;">I've been thinking about death and dying a lot lately. Maybe that's because I watched all of the Queen's funeral or maybe it's because I read about the actor Alan Rickman's newly published diaries, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Madly-Deeply-Diaries-Alan-Rickman/dp/1250847958">Madly Deeply</a> in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/sep/25/alan-rickman-diaries-madly-deeply-part-2-sense-sensibility?CMP=share_btn_link">The Guardian yesterday. </a></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0zGW326xxyOoH4EfZdHYbO-0p7WAS80TPwi8u5k1HOluqocTap-BJKOI_gb-yF35hPjXUiyBAp5mxaHxlkusIL9A7kMDjVRyJTLsnYRsKXSayjgnMpC7KRdcjDTK9KC_tTqkkr9pc5NZaB1Vn2xPaxV_oNavmzxQGNYYtSX-4MboJbxkkI_h9L3QVA/s499/madlydeeply.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="329" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0zGW326xxyOoH4EfZdHYbO-0p7WAS80TPwi8u5k1HOluqocTap-BJKOI_gb-yF35hPjXUiyBAp5mxaHxlkusIL9A7kMDjVRyJTLsnYRsKXSayjgnMpC7KRdcjDTK9KC_tTqkkr9pc5NZaB1Vn2xPaxV_oNavmzxQGNYYtSX-4MboJbxkkI_h9L3QVA/w264-h400/madlydeeply.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">It wasn't the diaries that caught my breath (although those are a delicious read), it was his wife Rima Horton's description of Alan's dying days: </span></div><p></p><p class="dcr-4iq4cq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #121212; font-family: GuardianTextEgyptian, "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Alan’s last diary entry was on 12 December, but he had been getting weaker and writing less for some time. All through the autumn he was eating less and often feeling sick. But we continued to do most of the things that had always been part of our life. We saw films and plays, met friends, went out to dinner or entertained at home. Alan also spent a lot of time watching TV – his two favourite programmes at that time were <span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Don’t Tell the Bride</span> and <span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Say Yes to the Dress</span>. Our trip to New York in November was very important. To stay in our flat again and see so many of the friends who had meant so much to us over the years. Alan loved New York.</span></i></p><p class="dcr-4iq4cq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #121212; font-family: GuardianTextEgyptian, "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">He went downhill after that. He was admitted to hospital on 20 December and never left.</span></i></p><p class="dcr-4iq4cq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #121212; font-family: GuardianTextEgyptian, "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">The last two weeks of Alan's life were extraordinary. His hospital room was turned into a salon. Belinda (Lang) produced a table-top Christmas tree, Emma (Thompson) brought in a standard lamp, cushions and a throw to cover the sofa. And an infuser. Miranda (Richardson) added a window bird-feeder. I brought a beautiful table lamp from home.</span></i></p><p class="dcr-4iq4cq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #121212; font-family: GuardianTextEgyptian, "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Different friends came in each day. Sometimes, Alan told me who he wanted to see. Otherwise, they just came. There was often a lot of laughter. Alan was in bed but always a major voice in the proceedings.</span></i></p><p class="dcr-4iq4cq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #121212; font-family: GuardianTextEgyptian, "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">He designed his own funeral. Ian Rickson (theatre director) was put in charge. Alan chose where it would take place, who would speak and what music would be played.</span></i></p><p class="dcr-4iq4cq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #121212; font-family: GuardianTextEgyptian, "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">He was surrounded by people who loved him and up until 13 January was still in control of everything that was going on around him. But he wasn’t there after that, and he died at 9.15 in the morning of 14 January 2016. I was there. He wasn’t in pain. He just went.</span></i></p><p></p><ul class="dcr-4iq4cq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #121212; font-family: GuardianTextEgyptian, "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"></ul><p></p><p class="dcr-4iq4cq" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #121212; font-family: GuardianTextEgyptian, "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-break: break-word; word-spacing: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Alan was cremated on the morning of 3 February with close friends and family present. The funeral service was held that afternoon in the Actors’ Church in the heart of London’s theatre district. The chosen music was Uptown Funk and Take It with Me by Tom Waits. We finished with everyone singing The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore. Then, in keeping with tradition, the Reverend Richard Syms asked us to give Alan “one last wonderful standing ovation”.</span></i></p><p class="dcr-4iq4cq" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #121212; font-family: GuardianTextEgyptian, "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-break: break-word; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">The beautiful image of Alan Rickman's hospital room so full of love expressed in the presence of friends and in brought objects of beauty and comfort made me think that we need artists to demonstrate guide us in creative solace. We need the fearlessness of actors to attend to the moments of dying. There is something so resolute and loyal about the gifts bestowed on Alan - and it seems to me that each person asked himself, "If I were Alan, what would comfort or delight me? What would demonstrate to me that I am loved?" </span></p><p class="dcr-4iq4cq" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #121212; font-family: GuardianTextEgyptian, "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-break: break-word; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;">There were touches of this love and creativity in the Queen's funeral too. Centuries-old traditions of fanfare have been honed by artists throughout the ages for the monarch's send-off. And these traditions are familiar to the British people - they represented a heartfelt goodbye from </span><i>everyone</i> in the country.</span></p><p class="dcr-4iq4cq" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #121212; font-family: GuardianTextEgyptian, "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-break: break-word; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">I want artists at my deathbed. I want actors to visit me and not be afraid to laugh. And at my funeral, dance music and a standing ovation would be awesome. I hope my family reads this. ☺</span></p>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-50648251115590043802022-09-24T15:47:00.005-04:002022-09-24T15:47:49.242-04:00The Perfect Fake Independence<p><span style="font-size: large;"> The other day I was browsing facebook posts in an online caregiver support group when I read, </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"My mother was living the perfect life of fake independence when she fell and broke her hip. Before yesterday, she lived in an apartment that adjoins our house. I cooked all her meals and checked on her multiple times every day, just dropping in for "chats" or to deliver folded laundry." </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The idea of fake independence really got me thinking. Isn't this what we all try to achieve? Propping up the dignity of our loved ones, hiding their dependency needs behind closed doors, pretending that they're fine, just fine. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I remember a conversation with a girlfriend a long time ago that went like this: "I know exactly how to keep my husband "Henri" (not his real name) happy. I plant a seed in a pot of earth and place it on the window sill. Every day I water the little pot and make sure it has plenty of sunshine. One day, the plant is grown and a flower blooms. Come here, Henri, I say! Come and look at what YOU have DONE!" We laughed so hard and I knew exactly what she meant. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Doing the work of keeping the family well even as the needs of a loved one's age, disability or illness progress is invisible work. Part of the job is making sure that it seems easy and no trouble at all to meet everyone's needs. Even better than that is to prop up the fiction that THEY are in fact doing these tasks themselves. But one day, the smoke and mirrors will evaporate when a hip is broken or when a caregiver becomes ill or incapacitated him/herself. This is a terrible moment. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Is it a good thing to create perfect fake independence for someone who is frail or ill? I don't know. Maybe it's what some people want but I think if my husband or my daughter was helping me get through the day, I would want a clear eyed view of who is doing what. I would want to thank them. And I would want to fold the laundry myself, if I could. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge8Q1-3IT7i4K0m1b2Q8b6QvUcFwa8fAIVjxP5AG6A_Y70TWvF6W5zC5dERygZRlhiQ0mXv6cMUkmFCCHo9aZlE4Q5ax3LbLdXUTi43JRh5WWqMq6r5N-ltvzUjy6UYxlTfaZGgvo_IYAi0VvKc-TtZ_ETUr7xQqVLRjk5FSC0EzR26anzGw1EZAwdDg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="225" height="637" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge8Q1-3IT7i4K0m1b2Q8b6QvUcFwa8fAIVjxP5AG6A_Y70TWvF6W5zC5dERygZRlhiQ0mXv6cMUkmFCCHo9aZlE4Q5ax3LbLdXUTi43JRh5WWqMq6r5N-ltvzUjy6UYxlTfaZGgvo_IYAi0VvKc-TtZ_ETUr7xQqVLRjk5FSC0EzR26anzGw1EZAwdDg=w640-h637" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-59575010786536552522022-09-05T07:31:00.001-04:002022-09-05T07:31:39.462-04:00Wish a Caregiver Happy Labour Day! <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhO6092YkGIxgN1K3WCt5KPmVRPMsZ-PFAzQdlcKVpYxjcCIjPHtiIEy7OCYO3BY0pTACb1N-ufdB4SDOJzs11QhhEv2kCy6WVhjgOrt9HPPJcJt2kA8oFWoBDbHptUo9_xIxXxgK_kCXWpSSz5pPs-To75inR2_HOJzZfRaeVENeV_M7Z5nE_xsHB57A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="217" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhO6092YkGIxgN1K3WCt5KPmVRPMsZ-PFAzQdlcKVpYxjcCIjPHtiIEy7OCYO3BY0pTACb1N-ufdB4SDOJzs11QhhEv2kCy6WVhjgOrt9HPPJcJt2kA8oFWoBDbHptUo9_xIxXxgK_kCXWpSSz5pPs-To75inR2_HOJzZfRaeVENeV_M7Z5nE_xsHB57A=w597-h640" width="597" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><p></p><span style="font-size: large;">
The feminist scholar Arlene Kaplan Daniels coined the phrase "invisible work" to describe the many tasks that women have traditionally performed in their families and communities. Picking apart our common understanding of what constitutes “work,” Daniels wrote (in 1987): </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i>We distinguish work from leisure activity (that we want to do because we enjoy it) and from other activities in the private realm of life — personal grooming, child care, homemaking.
In modern, industrialized societies, perhaps the most common understanding of the essential characteristic of work is that it is something for which we get paid. This idea is associated with activity in the public world, which is dominated by men and separated from those private worlds of family and personal relationships where women predominate. There may be exchanges in households and friendships, but they are not monetary. Even activity in the public sphere, such as volunteering and community service, is not work if it isn’t paid. Any activity we do for pay, wherever it is found, even if we enjoy it, must, by definition, be work.
<b>But any effort we make, even if it is arduous, skilled and recognized as useful — perhaps essential — is still not recognized as work if it is not paid.</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">
Daniels was talking back in the 80's about what constitutes work. But her observations still ring true, especially about contemporary women or men who assume an intensive caring role. The work of caring has no monetary value, and therefore no moral force or dignity in the public consciousness. Governments have always capitalized on this conception of care that is not “work” to protect their shrinking health and social care budgets. Market prices affect our definitions of what is work and what is not. Twenty years ago, giving someone a bottle of formula via a stomach tube was a nursing task — today anyone in a family can perform this job, no university degree required and no pay received. But consider what is required to bring an elderly relative with dementia to the shopping mall. Can it be called work? Of course it can, but it doesn’t have to be paid to be recognized as valuable. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">There are other kinds of work involved in giving good care. There are qualities that describe a kind person, a good parent, or a good friend, but these same qualities are also central to good care for vulnerable people. Maintaining this height of alertness and level of emotional giving is tiring. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">A different definition of work is called for if caregivers are to be protected from exploitation, be rewarded for our contributions, and have a hope of retirement from our duties.
The physical and emotional toil of dependency work has something to do with love, but it should never be taken as an extension of it. The extent to which a carer has to become “transparent” in order to provide good care, acutely listening and watching for signs of need or distress, cannot and should not be sustained without reward and rest. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Assuming that a more appropriate definition of invisible work will evolve based on the sheer numbers of citizens involved in giving care, what kinds of rewards can society offer? Every individual is likely to seek a personal answer to that question. Certainly, some will want cash compensation either in the form of pension benefits or direct payment. For others, the rewards of familial affection will be enough. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But the principle that persons who give care must be allowed to choose a reward is the idea I wish to put forward. A person coerced into giving care without regard for their own health, fitness, aspirations or talents is a recipe for bad care with dangerous implications for all concerned.
But, rewards given by the state in the form of payments are hardly ever without strings attached. Funds must be spent on this, but not that. Every expense must be fully accountable on a “worthy” expenditure. A family who receives government assistance to buy food might find itself in hot water if they choose to purchase a Christmas tree instead of a turkey during the holidays.
I am sure that in the case of putting money and power into the hands of individual families, many tax-paying citizens would wring their collective hands at the thought of letting mothers run amok in malls with government funds. My response would be that there will always be a few people who behave badly in the public and private domains. But in a democracy, we do not construct a single public policy based on the poor judgement of a few misguided citizens. Most parents do their best to nurture their children. It’s just that in some cases, it takes a village. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Eva Feder Kittay envisions a new ethic for long-term care by nudging us towards a new conception of equality. She writes: “By viewing our relations to others as nested dependencies, we start to frame equality in terms of our interconnections…for the disabled and their caregivers alike. Each gets to be seen as some mother’s child.” To position interconnectedness as central to or synonymous with equality is the very core ethic critical to ensuring wellbeing for me and every other member of my family. We are all some mother’s child. And caregivers WORK. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Labour Day to caregivers everywhere! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Adapted from my first book, The Four Walls of My Freedom: Lessons I've Learned From a Life of Caregiving, 2014</i></span></div>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-39340977417110877212022-08-09T17:39:00.000-04:002022-08-09T17:39:09.576-04:00COMMUNICATING WITH LOVE - How to Relax and Chat With Someone with Memory Loss<p><span style="font-size: large;">If you care for someone with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's or dementia, you have probably seen this image on social media: </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMwrzIiUlUnrxPkc3PYabOHvgxOgwP31AIGimEJqNhgDNl9R3nuvWdAto0aO4zDi_Xi5RL8bnjFTOJCtQX0Z8eYOBu4n0xCo8sSYbX_mzlidecF80NkZd7uUIpQQOua6ASkG0kAQ8BuVr1sQkL_9yq6ZavT6zZosIGS7Rorj7YyE_wbMMGCUVeItgx7g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="781" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMwrzIiUlUnrxPkc3PYabOHvgxOgwP31AIGimEJqNhgDNl9R3nuvWdAto0aO4zDi_Xi5RL8bnjFTOJCtQX0Z8eYOBu4n0xCo8sSYbX_mzlidecF80NkZd7uUIpQQOua6ASkG0kAQ8BuVr1sQkL_9yq6ZavT6zZosIGS7Rorj7YyE_wbMMGCUVeItgx7g=w328-h400" width="328" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">I've posted it on my Facebook page, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/donnathomsonauthor/">The Caregivers' Living Room</a> and the most common reply is, "That's all very well, but those instructions are more easily said than done!" I have to agree. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">The good news is that I am writing to tell you about a book that arrived last week in my mailbox. It's called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Communicating-Love-Creating-Conversations-Residents/dp/B09VFTF954/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2656SHM57X2ES&keywords=communicating+with+love&qid=1660064021&s=books&sprefix=communicating+with+love%2Cstripbooks%2C114&sr=1-1">Communicating With Love: Creating Joyful Conversations with Memory and Elder Care Residents by E. Jane Wyatt</a>. I had agreed to review the book and this afternoon, I read it in one reading (it's part of the author's <a href="https://caregiver10minuteguides.com/">Caregiver 10 Minute Guide Series</a>). Easy to read and published in large print, this is a gem-filled treasure trove of wisdom. Here's what I learned: </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Communication with someone who has a significant memory deficit is much easier with careful planning. This may seem self-evident at first, but it's a lesson that I've had to learn and relearn over the 30-plus years of my own caregiving. Planning and communication are the details that make or break minutes, days and lifetimes of both caregiver and care receiver. The author shares wonderful examples of good planning and poor planning when visiting someone in their own home or in institutional care. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Communicating when someone may not recognize you is a tricky business. The challenge of keeping a conversation going when someone has advanced dementia is enough to keep many people away. But again, the author gives us a gentle and easy-to-follow guide to introducing ourselves (how to enter the room and say hello), how to ask open ended questions with memory prompts, how to tell a "therapeutic fib" and other tricks she has learned through caring for her own mother and for a friend, both who suffered from severe memory loss. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCccZXQh5iDM3W_AGFTofV5Oiv5dnu-nFsMSkEvrVhLlC8d8cvlbi6UzQR3KaBY_b3j94XhjFGBturoeij5T4Gc8nI4GpnOQGN8VjlF1KodkkSvTvft4keL8iUJGvlozKifAW0MOeWSIbgdGdak_V0c89p3u1vBP8OpprvHLBs0tEKGn3mydh4vB51A/s499/communicatingwithlove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCccZXQh5iDM3W_AGFTofV5Oiv5dnu-nFsMSkEvrVhLlC8d8cvlbi6UzQR3KaBY_b3j94XhjFGBturoeij5T4Gc8nI4GpnOQGN8VjlF1KodkkSvTvft4keL8iUJGvlozKifAW0MOeWSIbgdGdak_V0c89p3u1vBP8OpprvHLBs0tEKGn3mydh4vB51A/w268-h400/communicatingwithlove.jpg" width="268" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Communicating-Love-Creating-Conversations-Residents/dp/B09VFTF954/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2656SHM57X2ES&keywords=communicating+with+love&qid=1660064021&s=books&sprefix=communicating+with+love%2Cstripbooks%2C114&sr=1-1">Communicating With Love</a> is a companion book to its precursor, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Visiting-Love-Productive-Activities-Residents/dp/B08XT9L6TJ/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_1/134-8033073-3410650?pd_rd_w=bn26C&content-id=amzn1.sym.7757a8b5-874e-4a67-9d85-54ed32f01737&pf_rd_p=7757a8b5-874e-4a67-9d85-54ed32f01737&pf_rd_r=V3998AY1DM3DP6WES3WC&pd_rd_wg=2xhU6&pd_rd_r=f17e2a9a-aa99-41c1-ac4c-6616ded0a884&pd_rd_i=B08XT9L6TJ&psc=1">Visiting With Love</a>. Both are very reasonably priced and available from all online booksellers. I highly recommend them.</span></span></div></div><p></p>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-41344723975567417562022-07-10T18:21:00.004-04:002022-07-10T18:21:47.557-04:00Lessons for Caregivers in a New Book, The Power of Teamwork<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIzdBNP1ZMWqLoXr5F59Y5MRHsq1d3gDVZgaU6kG1BnY6OgfElUc4pK7_J73NPj2UKhSRedevscv2MvKVZBKhYBSrIwlWJbhNWh-SKkh5wLQkd-WqNbfo6Fw-s0XOKC084ApXleZ0ZyYGrAdGV_kbTMtA8laK-0KyeWxwE8G0aG2OYJZ4KKNP-ILGqw/s499/Thepowerofteamwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIzdBNP1ZMWqLoXr5F59Y5MRHsq1d3gDVZgaU6kG1BnY6OgfElUc4pK7_J73NPj2UKhSRedevscv2MvKVZBKhYBSrIwlWJbhNWh-SKkh5wLQkd-WqNbfo6Fw-s0XOKC084ApXleZ0ZyYGrAdGV_kbTMtA8laK-0KyeWxwE8G0aG2OYJZ4KKNP-ILGqw/w268-h400/Thepowerofteamwork.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Today I finished reading <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Power-Teamwork-Work-Better-Together/dp/144346399X/ref=asc_df_144346399X/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=578819592852&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4442139672510036125&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9104705&hvtargid=pla-1695491173887&psc=1">The Power of Teamwork: How We Can All Work Better Together by Dr. Brian Goldman</a> and I had to share my excitement about it right away. There are SO many lessons here for family caregivers and the circles of care that we manage. I've written about Dr. Goldman before, notably in a review <a href="https://www.donnathomson.com/2018/06/what-power-of-kindness-means-to.html">I penned of his excellent The Power of Kindness</a> back in 2018. Dr. Goldman is an ER doctor in Toronto, <i>and</i> he is a compelling storyteller. He's the host of the CBC, widely syndicated <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/whitecoat">White Coat/Black Art</a> show as well as the podcast, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/410-the-dose?cmp=DM_SEM_Listen_Titles">The Dose</a>. When Dr. Brian Goldman talks, I listen and learn.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So let me tell you what I learned about caregiving and leadership from The Power of Teamwork. I learned that groups are not the same as teams (we KNOW this but seeing the words in print made me stop and reflect on all the times I've been frustrated in "team meetings" for my son or my Mom and now I understand that it was because people at the table were actually in groups - groups that excluded me). I learned the term "flattened hierarchies." I love that! We are all human, we each have a particular role to play in a project of care, a role that is based on our talents, skills and knowledge. And from the team, leaders naturally emerge. And their roles aren't static; they can change, depending the situation. In his book, Goldman tells the story of Dr. Kevin Menes, an ER doc who happened to be working a shift on the night of the worst mass shooting in US history. Fifty-eight people were killed o<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">n October 1, 2017, when </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Paddock" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Stephen Paddock">Stephen Paddock</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"> opened fire on the crowd attending the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_91_Harvest" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Route 91 Harvest">Route 91 Harvest</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"> music festival on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. Nearby Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center treated 199 patients in just six hours. Dr. Kevin Menes took charge of operations. He was an exemplary team leader. Rules were broken to meet the needs of the moment, hierarchies were flattened. It is a riveting story of coordinated care in the most horrendous and chaotic circumstances.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Dr. Trevor Jain, a young doctor on the scene of a terrible Swissair plane crash near Halifax in 1998, set up a massive makeshift mortuary and set about identifying the remains of hundreds of deceased passengers. He reflected on his own experience and that of Dr. Menes, "If you let people do what they're trained to do, and grow into the role and encourage it, you as a leader, it's just going to make you look outstanding. It's not insecurity. A leader should never be insecure. They (the other team members) are just going to make you look phenomenal."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So coincidentally, today I was scrolling through my personal facebook page when I saw a post from my friend, fellow complex care Mom and caregiving coach, <a href="https://www.coachingforcaregiverscanada.com/meet-brenda">Brenda Blais-Nesbitt</a>: </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9iolSTg_xpFydwn3A7SYewiBPc0Dfyy_IycqLk8XhUvwB1FmKnp-WLGQnPtVbiVaMQu3ZurOik-NewAPPKhCh1D9B2BNTxa5L0yjNUuvCJ7Y6Ox8eLqtUNkip0Gf3xaNQmT7zyrVNmn2kFHpIazQKesdyZgAf4nQo0HQLuwnOApVcIYQNaugmLdzEng" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="960" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9iolSTg_xpFydwn3A7SYewiBPc0Dfyy_IycqLk8XhUvwB1FmKnp-WLGQnPtVbiVaMQu3ZurOik-NewAPPKhCh1D9B2BNTxa5L0yjNUuvCJ7Y6Ox8eLqtUNkip0Gf3xaNQmT7zyrVNmn2kFHpIazQKesdyZgAf4nQo0HQLuwnOApVcIYQNaugmLdzEng=w400-h201" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">"Team work makes the dream work!!"</span></i></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This was so true of Nikki's care in hospital tonight. She had such good days on Wed and Thurs and I really thought she would be going home on Thursday but that hope was vanished for a number of reasons. </span></i></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I guess the fact that it didn't happen was a blessing in disguise or we may have been right back in the ER as there have been a few glitches. Today was a struggle for her. </span></i></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">But here's the thing. I had a theory about why Nikki was both lethargic and had increased difficulty breathing today. AND I knew how to fix it. At home, I would have just done it. But being in the hospital is a different story. So, I proposed my plan to the nurse ... it involved a medical procedure that I can and have done on a regular daily basis for the past 11-12 years. The nurse had to ask the Resident to order it though, before I could do it. The Resident (who did not know Nikki) did not want me to do it. She wanted to try something else and wait to see if that alternative would solve things by tomorrow for her. That meant Nikki would be incredibly uncomfortable with increased work of breathing throughout the night.</span></i></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And then Nikki's nurse advocated for me and my idea. She agreed the procedure needed to be done ASAP for Nikki's comfort and to help her BREATHE. She also advocated strongly with the Resident that I be allowed to do it. The nurse explained that I knew Nikki's anatomy better than anyone and that I had significantly more experience doing the procedure than she (the nurse) did (she had done it twice in her 3 year career). I have done the procedure thousands of times and I've also trained all of our home care nurses on it as well.</span></i></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The Resident consulted with the general surgery team to come up and do it. They gave her their blessing to let me do it. And you know what? I am happy to say that it was the BEST decision ever. By the end of the procedure Nikki was alert, breathing SOOOOO much better and will have a much more comfortable night. </span></i></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This is what collaboration is all about. Collaborative care and team work literally did make the dream work for Nikki today. For someone as complex as Nikki is, it literally does take a team working together for a common goal - Nikki's comfort, her health, and her safety. Thank you to a very dear friend of mine who recently pointed out to me: Nikki has a circle of care around her, one that I've been very good at allowing others enter to help me care for her. What's not in a circle? SIDES!! There should be no sides in care. It's truly a privilege to be in Nikki's circle and be joined by others who are surrounding us with physical care for Nikki, and love, support, and guidance for both of us through such challenging times. Team work really truly does make Nikki's dream work for her. </span></i></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">There are so many lessons for caregivers in The Power of Teamwork. If you feel like your circle of care has "sides" or you just want to be a more effective care team leader, buy this book now! It is wonderful.</span></div></div>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489173439865061632.post-80419277971159334442022-06-12T12:00:00.000-04:002022-06-12T12:00:02.298-04:00All My News: A Personal Update<p> It's Sunday morning and the thrum of rain on our metal roof is lulling me into a thoughtful mood. It's a good day for writing. So I thought I would pause and reflect on my life and activities. Here's what's been happening: </p><p>CARE RELATED</p><p>Jim and I have been updating our wills, Powers of Attorney and financial plans. Nicholas has a Power of Attorney naming us as his POAs but he needs a will. This requires a capacity test by the lawyer. So, next on our to-do list is prepare Nick for the test and coach him on his assets and various pension benefits. Nick needs a will because he has an asset - a <a href="https://www.rdsp.com/">Registered Disability Savings Plan</a>, a financial instrument in his name that we've contributed to for many years. It's a great savings tool for Canadians with disabilities because the federal government matches our contributions up to a possible maximum of $90,000. This RDSP plan together with the <a href="https://www.planningnetwork.ca/resources/henson-trust">Henson Trust</a> that Jim and I set up in our wills ensures that Nicholas will have the money he needs to provide all the "extras" for a good life that we currently pay for, after Jim and I die. We've thought a lot too, about setting up a circle of social and medical decision-making family members and friends that will outlast me and Jim. For this aspect of our future planning, the resources available at the Canadian <a href="https://planinstitute.ca/">PLAN Institute</a> have proved invaluable. <a href="https://planinstitute.ca/learning-centre/publications/safe-and-secure/">"Safe and Secure" by Al Etmanski</a> has been our essential guidebook throughout this whole family future planning exercise. </p><p>Apart from future planning, I've been coordinating wheelchair modifications and new slings for Nick's ceiling track lift system. Of course Jim and I continue to carefully consult on our family's safe re-entry into society, given that much of the country believes that Covid is over (it's not). We speak with Nick on the phone or zoom every day and visit at least once a week (if his schedule allows!). </p><p>WORK RELATED</p><p>I often laugh as I explain to new acquaintances that I am living my life backwards. For most of my adult life, I was a full-time primary caregiver for Nicholas and part-time helper for my Mum. Then in 2011, Nick entered his wonderful medical group home where he is now living his best adult life with the help of one to one nursing support. Mum died in 2018 at the age of 96. </p><p>So, I began my working career as an older adult. I'm 67 now and I work on a variety of projects that spark joy and passion in my heart. I facilitate a free, online course through McMaster University Department of Continuing Education called <a href="https://mcmastercce.ca/caregiving-essentials">Caregiving Essentials</a>. It's a great course and for me, one of the best parts is hosting a (free) webinar series in which I get to have the MOST interesting conversations with all sorts of fascinating guests. You can watch all of our past webinars on YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgW-AY2zjrEUYr28ebAHOY1Edc5WA3DMM">HERE</a>. </p><p>Another project I'm deeply involved in at McMaster is the <a href="https://www.canchild.ca/en/research-in-practice/family-engagement-in-research-course">Family Engagement in Research Course</a>. It pairs family members of children with disabilities (all ages) together with researchers in the field of disability. Course participants work in small groups to learn both the theory and practice of family-engaged research partnership. The course became so popular that we've evolved a new Leadership Academy to be launched this fall (stay tuned for more news). </p><p>I've just joined the Advisory of the <a href="https://canadiancaregiving.org/">Canadian Centre on Caregiving Excellence</a>, a new organization that promises to radically shift (in a good way) the manner in which both paid and family caregivers are supported in Canada. It's fantastic and I can't wait to see the change that's coming. </p><p>This Thursday, I leave Ottawa for Canmore, Alberta, where I'll be joining fellow board members for a weekend working retreat of the <a href="https://accessarts.ca/">National accessArts Centre</a>. It's an AMAZING arts training and exhibition centre for both passionate amateur as well as professional disabled artists. </p><p>I care so much about all the work I do for all these organizations because they each have an important role to play in upending power structures that oppress people with serious health challenges or disabilities and their families. I believe everyone who experiences being marginalized (including us caregivers!) should have an equal place at those decision-making tables that concern what happens in our daily lives. I also believe in the worth of my own and others' caring life experiences and I talk about that worth every chance I get. </p><p>FOR FUN AND FRIENDSHIP</p><p>I've been taking care of myself this spring by spending time with friends on the golf course and tennis courts. For me, keeping fit has been harder during Covid because I used dance for fitness. I'm still super careful about masking indoors so the gym is out of the question. That means I've had to (re)learn outdoor sports from my youth. During my 25 years of caring, I could never leave home to pursue any kind of sports in my community, but there's nothing stopping me now. So, I've taken lessons and I'm out there doing my best (which isn't very good). As they say though, golf is a good excuse for a lovely walk with friends and for me, tennis is about the laughter at both the good and the terrible shots. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayIuMS66VXJ_Eb1Fh4i-dDOqLYCCOZcE_ym5n02uRmOiWBLrWi-ah24mELwseNd02fDXKk2fKw5gRo1XimS1Ip38V6haMZSVpisc0VHKK4o1gBVPSXbNVuglzZBfhs3u4ojMbjRgKFYcUO3uc0x9QCZKJlFDK947U4qYKLm_XRO523_fcEt566LOITQ/s3264/IMG_2801.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayIuMS66VXJ_Eb1Fh4i-dDOqLYCCOZcE_ym5n02uRmOiWBLrWi-ah24mELwseNd02fDXKk2fKw5gRo1XimS1Ip38V6haMZSVpisc0VHKK4o1gBVPSXbNVuglzZBfhs3u4ojMbjRgKFYcUO3uc0x9QCZKJlFDK947U4qYKLm_XRO523_fcEt566LOITQ/s320/IMG_2801.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me with my tennis coach, <a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/petra-januskova-looks-to-incite-positive-change-with-itf-player-panel/">Petra Januskova</a> - thank heavens she is so kind! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWo3WHUu3si4a2weWT_a0aEhNTqly8n-uP0xLhNxstV8ovOfSwDZYmk_zgBL0b8xzbLe-5jZTDxigi7hvz3QuxgqBh9Sqm0eYiW4WxhMkHET7O6Op4EWhCuEhez4yQU2MSqB1vebsllHGhu-d4VklMQfbTlYgC_NN0QGOWqmSHyyb_Cp5ZicKDDKpdw/s4608/P7310889.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWo3WHUu3si4a2weWT_a0aEhNTqly8n-uP0xLhNxstV8ovOfSwDZYmk_zgBL0b8xzbLe-5jZTDxigi7hvz3QuxgqBh9Sqm0eYiW4WxhMkHET7O6Op4EWhCuEhez4yQU2MSqB1vebsllHGhu-d4VklMQfbTlYgC_NN0QGOWqmSHyyb_Cp5ZicKDDKpdw/s320/P7310889.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKhhtwhS_sNPF4emyYgC2RE5OIuEO0wUVmN0cljRL6_pgFeYUNB2nNV74lC0-mP-IRfbsNcm--hOnbKwcl6KjuXzf2UmL6sVwMFl4ZurRfaghNBoI1Sd931Qty7NZd70DldUQsFcUvay0aUIaAO_4YWUBK7r86rSXxIWxwb1AtKA28N8O-WhEeAeM0A/s4608/P9091015.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKhhtwhS_sNPF4emyYgC2RE5OIuEO0wUVmN0cljRL6_pgFeYUNB2nNV74lC0-mP-IRfbsNcm--hOnbKwcl6KjuXzf2UmL6sVwMFl4ZurRfaghNBoI1Sd931Qty7NZd70DldUQsFcUvay0aUIaAO_4YWUBK7r86rSXxIWxwb1AtKA28N8O-WhEeAeM0A/s320/P9091015.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Daisy is a guest of honour at our little (not fancy!) golf/tennis club! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From my house to yours, I wish everyone who visits The Caregivers' Living Room a restful day in which at least one person says to you: THANK YOU. </div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Caregivers' Living Roomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.com1