Since this is the final episode in our series, let’s recap our series on Caregiving by Design, Not by Default. If you have listened to any or all of the previous 22 conversations, the summary today will give you something to think about. So pull up a chair. Enjoy a cup of coffee or hot tea. It’s time to chat!

Today, let’s chat about those moments when we desperately want to DO something for a family member or a friend…..but we feel powerless to do anything of significance. In those moments we wonder, “What can I do?”

In a previous episode, we explored the impact of a serious diagnosis on an individual and the family. Today, let’s chat about the challenge of recurrence…the recurrence of a disease process or perhaps a physical limitation. Although the initial diagnosis is devastating, a recurrence of a disease after a period of remission is considered by many to be even harder.

Growing up, I learned that there is a difference between being alone and being lonely. My parents both savored their “alone time” every day. Time to read, to write, and to listen to the world around them. Being lonely, however, is a subjective experience…..how we FEEL when we are alone. To feel lonely is to feel isolated, disconnected, unseen, and unheard.

Today I want to chat about how we are transformed by our LIFE experiences. Within the context of our conversations—caregiving—I’ll be chatting specifically about how our experiences as caregivers and care receivers change us. So grab a cup of coffee or hot tea. It’s time to chat.

I have yet to meet a caregiver or care receiver who is CERTAIN as to how their respective journey will unfold. There are just too many variables related to the disease process or disability….as well as the inherent uncertainties of life in general. Hence, when in the trenches of caregiving, uncertainty is part of the lived experience…a challenging aspect to say the very least.

Once again it is time to chat! Grab a drink. Find a chair. And take a deep breath. I have a question for you today. Have you ever wondered how your story will end? I know….a rather disconcerting question. But one certainly worthy of our time and attention!

Today, let’s discuss how caregivers can leverage the available technology to their advantage. It is amazing what is out there…..seems like new innovations are revealed on a daily basis. Let’s see what might be beneficial to you and yours.

Serving as a family caregiver requires our physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial investment. On average, family caregivers provide 24 hours of care/week. The average duration of care is over 4 years. Additionally, 60% of family caregivers are employed outside the house. No wonder family caregivers are stressed! Working and caring simultaneously takes a toll on family caregivers—physically, emotionally, psychosocially, spiritually, and financially.

Over the past few months, we’ve been chatting about the challenges as well as the possibilities to be embraced during this incredibly chaotic moment in time. COVID-19 has and continues to push individuals, communities, systems, services, and governments to the breaking point. Thankfully, we’re proving to be amazingly resilient - a worthy foe. As such, we can learn from our collective experience of COVID. What have we learned over the past 7 months that will serve us well in the days and years to come?