Caring for Dad
Kristi Jacobson knew what she wanted, she just hadn’t found it yet. As caregiver to her 88 year old father, with whom she has lived since 2011, Kristi knew she was in a unique role that has evolved over the years. “There’s a dance between how to be supportive without being annoying or taking away […]
Family Caregiver Burnout
When my own mother was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in January, I thought, “well, at least I have been immersed in grief and loss studies for more than 20 years.” I have run support groups for families who have experienced the death of a child for more than 18 years. My father died […]
A day in the life of a family caregiver
6:37 a.m.A light scratching against the door and the morning light coming through the edges of the shades awoke me before my alarm had the chance to go off. You don’t get fed until 7:30 a.m., I mumbled to the cat as she continued to mew. It was Wednesday morning, the last day of classes for […]
Boundaries.
Boundaries–It’s a word filled with lots of expectations and hopes–especially when one thinks about it within the context of caregiving. It is easy to understand the boundary of a property line–a fence, a sidewalk, or even a gate. It is, however, much more difficult to understand and navigate emotional boundaries surrounding caregiving. Brené Brown, social […]
When a ZCP Staff Member Finds Herself in the Role of Family Caregiver
The recent call came on a Sunday night around 11:00 pm from my mother’s cell phone. Except it wasn’t my mother on the other end–it was a friend of hers. “Hi, Sarah, this is Pat, and I’m in the ER with your mom, and it’s not good.” Six hours later I was on a flight […]
