How do we know when it’s time to end life-prolonging medical treatment and let nature take its course? When do we say, “Enough!” and stop chemotherapy and radiation?

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If a doctor tells a patient and his/her family that continued treatment won’t change the outcome and suggests managing the pain rather than continuing life-extending treatments, would you think the doctor is compassionate and responsible, or would you think he/she is a member of a “Death Panel”?

Where’s the balance? Does it make sense to give an 85-year-old woman who is in the middle stage of Alzheimer’s a pace maker so she doesn’t die of a heart attack? If an eleven-year-old boy with cancer says, “I’m done. No more treatments,” should everyone respect his wishes? Who is the ultimate judge about outcomes and quality of life? If a patient isn’t capable of making a decision, who should make the call? It is up to the family, or should the doctor decide? These are all tough questions, and there are no easy answers.

Join us as we explore these questions and then stay tuned for Elaine’s interview with Teresa Corrall Steele, a woman who used meditation to manage her emotional stress during the two-year period of time she cared for her best friend and both parents, all of whom had terminal cancer, along with her husband who suffered a mental breakdown.

Teresa talks about how meditation can help us still our bodies and open our minds to peaceful, restful feelings. She talks about the calming effect of bringing our attention to our breathing and to ourselves. You won’t need a Yoga mat, and you don’t have to get into the Lotus position. You’ll learn all you need is a quiet place where you can have a couple of peaceful minutes to yourself.

This is the last show that Elaine will post on Web Talk Radio. But you will still be able to listen to Caregiver Help Radio on CaregiverHelp.com. You can also read her articles and watch some of her videos on CaringTimes, a wonderfully comprehensive blog distributed by Griswold Home Care.

In recognition of National Caregivers Month and National Alzheimer’s Month, Elaine and her husband Alex, co-founders of CaregiverHelp.com, are giving away one-year individual memberships to their online, video-based caregiver support website. All you have to do is go to the website, CaregiverHelp.com, click on the “Join Now” button at the top right-hand side of the page and fill out the form. In the box that asks for a coupon code, enter this code: RadioFree.

It’s that simple. There are no strings attached. But do it before November 30, because on December 1, the price goes back to $58.

The post Caregiver Help Radio – Treatment Versus Outcomes and Managing Caregiver Stress with Meditation appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

If your elderly mother is difficult, demanding and demeaning, or if your dad has recently increased the intensity of his diatribes, you’ll want to join us as we visit with Dr. Joseph M. Casiani, Founder and President of Concept Healthcare, a company that provides online education and training for those working with older adults. Dr. Casciani has a distinguished 30-year career in the field of clinical geropsychology. He is also the author of the book, “Handbook of Health and Behavior, Psychological Treatment Strategies for the Nursing Home Patient”.

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We talk about how to distinguish between depression and dementia-related challenging behaviors. We also talk about how to set boundaries with elderly parents who use anger and guilt as a method of control to get what they want from others.

Elaine shares her own love story. She also reveals how a promise she made 18 years ago combined with a few weeks of rain in September influenced her decision to make some major adjustments in her work and life.

She recently started contributing to the CaringTimes Blog distributed by Griswold Home Care. Click here to read her most recent blog about the “Silent Generation’s” attitude toward mental health problems.

And in recognition of National Caregivers Month and World Alzheimer’s month, Elaine reminds listeners that she and her husband Alex, co-founders of CaregiverHelp.com are giving away one-year memberships to their new online, video-based caregiver support program.

All you have to do is visit CaregiverHelp.com, click on the “Join Now” tab at the top right-hand side of the page. Fill in the form, and in the box that asks for a coupon code, enter this code: RadioFree.

If you register during the month of November, you’ll get free access to the website for an entire year. Sign up yourself and then send the information on to everyone you know who might need a little help coping with the emotional stress of caring for individuals who can no longer care for themselves.

The post Caregiver Help Radio – How to Set Boundaries With Cranky and Controlling Parents appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

In memory of her mother and in recognition National Caregivers Month and World Alzheimer’s Month, Elaine tells listeners how they can get a free one-year membership to CaregiverHelp.com. This new online, video-based caregiver support program was developed by Elaine and her husband, Dr. Alex Sanchez.

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The program is divided into modules – sort of like chapters in a book. Elaine and Alex incorporate a lot of humor and real-life caregiver stories into difficult topics such as caregiver anger, guilt, depression and grief.

The module titled “Dementia Issues” provides strategies for coping with challenging behaviors often exhibited by people who have Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, including the formerly taboo topic of sex and dementia.

Elaine also visits with Dr. Noreen Gibbens about hearing loss. Dr. Gibbens is a clinical audiologist who has worked with patients and their families for over 25 years to decrease the significant challenges that hearing loss can have on their lives.

This is a topic close to Elaine’s heart, because her mother suffered severe hearing loss as a result of the medication she was taking for her heart. Of all of the physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial challenges she faced, Madelyn said the loss of her hearing was the most difficult. She often felt isolated and alone. She said she would have preferred to give up her vision or her ability to walk, because not being able to communicate was like being in solitary confinement.

Dr. Gibbens understands how hearing loss can contribute to serious social, medical, and economic consequences, and in the interview she offers some solutions. She talks about the free hearing health seminars and screenings hiHealthInnovations provides in local communities and how people can purchase high-tech hearing aids at low prices. For more information, you can visit go to hiHealthInnovations or call 855 523-9355.

Elaine wraps up the show by reading from her book, “Letters From Madelyn, Chronicles of a Caregiver”. You’ll have fun listening to her read letters written by her mother during the six-and-a-half years she cared for Elaine’s father following his debilitating stroke. Madelyn’s letters were unflinchingly honest and often uproariously funny. People often say Madelyn had the courage to put into writing some of the things they were ashamed to think about, and they’re grateful to her for giving them the permission to be human. You can order your own copy for $14.95 by clicking on this link: “Letters from Madelyn, Chronicles of a Caregiver”.

The post Caregiver Help Radio – Help with Hearing Loss and Online Support for Caregivers appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Do you ever panic when you’re with one friend and see another one approaching because you’re blanking on one of their names? Do you sometimes walk purposefully into a room and stop suddenly once you get there because you can’t remember what you’ve come for? Do you spend a lot of time looking for things you’ve lost or misplaced?

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If so, you’re going to be especially interested in today’s show. Join us as we visit with Dr. Rob Winningham, Professor and Chair of the Behavioral Sciences Division at Western Oregon University and author of the book, Train Your Brain – How to maximize memory in older adulthood. You will be happy to know that you actually have some control over how your brain ages, and there are some interesting and fun activities that you can do to make your brain sharper.

We’re also going to visit with Michael Wall, marketing manager with DocuBank, a service that electronically stores advance directives, prescription lists, and emergency contact information. Mike is offering a huge discount for people who listen to this show.

When you carry a Docubank card in your wallet, right behind your driver’s license, your information can be instantly accessed by doctors and hospitals. So if you’re in an accident or have a medical emergency, no one will ever have to rush to your medicine cabinet to see what prescriptions you take or rifle through your files to find out what your wishes are regarding life support and tube feeding, because your information can be obtained by fax or Internet 24 hours a day any where in the world.

Also, in celebration of National Caregivers Month and World Alzheimer’s Month, Elaine and her husband, Dr. Alex Sanchez are giving away free individual memberships to CaregiverHelp.com. The retail value is $58, and if you sign up any time before the end of November, it’s absolutely FREE! Go to CaregiverHelp.com, click on the “Join Now” tab at the top, right-hand side of the page. Fill in the form, and in the Coupon Code box, enter: RadioFree

Sign up and then tell everyone you know about this special offer. The program is based on real-life caregiving stories and there’s a lot of humor in it, because Elaine and Alex believe that caregiving is way too difficult to take seriously all of the time, and in order to get through it, sometimes you just have to laugh.

The post Caregiver Help Radio – Maximize Your Memory and Get Free Caregiver Support appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

If you’re caregiver, you’re probably tired of hearing people say, “You need to take care of yourself.”

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It’s likely that you generally put meeting the needs of your care receiver before you even begin to think about caring for yourself. There are a number of reasons that isn’t a good plan, starting with the fact that unless you’ve been blessed with super powers, you won’t be able to do this forever. If you don’t take care of your body, there will come a point when your body will stop taking care of you.

Join us today as we visit with Dr. David Katz, author of the new book “Disease Proof, The Remarkable Truth About What Makes Us Well”. He tells us how we can slash our risk of contracting major diseases by more than 80% by combining “Will Power” with “Skill Power”. Dr. David L. Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP, is an internationally renowned expert in chronic disease prevention and weight management, recognized in 2012 as one of the most influential figures in health promotion. He is a specialist in Preventive Medicine, and the founding director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center. He is the author of 12 books, and he lives in Connecticut.

We also visit with Elissa Lewin, Founder & Executive Director of Nancy’s House Respite for Family Caregivers. This Philadelphia based program provides weekend get-aways for family caregivers. Nancy’s House exists to help caregivers get a couple good nights’ sleep, an emotional break from their responsibilities, and professional counseling. This nonprofit organizations runs on love, compassion, grants and donations.

The next event on their calendar is a Men’s Respite retreat on November 3-5, at The Colonial Inn in Historic Smithville, NJ, just outside of Atlantic City. And if you are close to Jenkintown, PA on Friday, Dec. 6, you can attend the 7th Annual Fine Art and Craft Show at The Pavilion, which is located at 261 Old York Road. Artists donate 20% of their sales to help fund respite weekend retreats.

And finally, Elaine tells you how you can get a free one-year membership to CaregiverHelp.com. Through the end of November, Elaine and her husband are celebrating National Caregivers Month and World Alzheimer’s Month by giving away $58 caregiver memberships to anyone who needs a little help coping with the anger, guilt, depression and grief associated with caring for aging, chronically ill, or disabled loved ones.

To receive your free membership, go to CaregiverHelp.com, click on the “Join Now” button at the top, right-hand side of the home page. Choose a username, click on the Caregiver $58 package, fill in all the boxes, and then enter the coupon code “RadioFree” in the Coupon Code Box at the bottom of the form. This will give you free access to the entire site for a year. It’s our gift to you in recognition of all you do to help others.

As always, if you have a story you’d like to share, a question you’d like to ask, or a rant you’d like to get off your chest, connect with Elaine on Facebook and she’ll do her best to get back to you.

The post Caregiver Help Radio – Learn How to Become “Disease Proof” & Care for Yourself appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

If you’ve tried to buy healthcare insurance since open enrollment began under the Affordable Care Act, you have probably experienced significant delays and frustrations. If you’re like most people, you are coming up with a lot more questions than answers.

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If you’d like to hear a clear, concise explanation on whether ObamaCare is the right choice for you, (without any political wrangling or finger pointing), join us as we speak with Mike Bertrand with the iCan Group. Mike talks about how the Affordable Care Act has changed the benefits of all healthcare insurance policies. He points out the difference between buying your insurance through the federal and state sponsored websites and private insurance brokers. You will learn about the different types of policies that are available to consumers, and the income level and type of policy you need to buy in order to qualify for a government subsidy.

Elaine also shares some insights into Caregiver Anger, along with an excerpt from her book, “Letters from Madelyn, Chronicles of a Caregiver”.

In celebration of the completion of their new website, CaregiverHelp.com, she and her husband Alex are offering a free one-year membership through the end of November, which is National Caregiver Month and World Alzheimer’s month. To get your own free membership, go to CaregiverHelp.com, click on the “Join Now” tab at the top right-hand side of the page, fill in the form, and then enter “RadioFree” in the coupon code box at the bottom of the page.

Based on their own experience of caring for family members, Elaine and her husband Alex developed a passion for helping others survive the emotional stress of caregiving.

CaregiverHelp.com helps people understand and cope with the anger, guilt, depression and grief often associated with caregiving. There are modules on each of these topics, along with modules that deal with Self-Care and dementia-related challenging behavior,(including surprising and/or inappropriate sexual behavior). Each module features downloadable pdf journal/worksheets, an introductory video, excerpts from live presentations and one or more animated videos.

The thing that makes this program unique is the humor and the real-life stories of family and professional caregivers. If you have ten minutes to spare, and are in need of a little laughter, compassion and stress relief, you can go to the website, watch one video and walk away feeling a little more refreshed and rejuvenated.

If you would like to contact Elaine directly, send an email to [email protected].

The post Caregiver Help Radio – How to Buy Healthcare Insurance & Access Free Caregiver Support appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

If you’re upset about the politics behind the Affordable Care Act . . . If you’ve had it with the mean-spirited rhetoric that’s being spewed on television programs that purport to be “News Channels”, and you’re looking for something hopeful and positive, you’ll want to listen to this show from start to finish.

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Elaine reflects on why she believes the soul of our country is still intact in spite our blame-finding, finger-pointing politicians. For one full hour she unplugs from current events and goes “back to the basics” of caregiving.

She reflects on her recent visit with Griswold Home Care in Philadelphia, a company that is committed to providing education and information along with non-medical support that helps people live comfortably in their own homes.

She recalls the love and commitment she witnessed from family members and professional caregivers when she spoke recently at The Kensington, an upscale assisted living and memory care community in White Plains, NY. She also talks about the heart and commitment of the elder law attorneys and the geriatric care managers she met when she spoke at the Life Care Planning Law Firms Association meeting in Seattle a few weeks ago.

And then she opens her book, “Letters from Madelyn, Chronicles of a Caregiver” and invites you share the beginning of her family’s caregiving journey. The letters were written by Elaine’s mother Madelyn during the six-and-a-half years she cared for Elaine’s dad following his debilitating stroke. The letters are unflinchingly honest and uproariously funny, and caregivers everywhere identify with Madelyn’s experience.

Inspired by her mother’s courage, humor, faith and ability to “choose her attitude toward any person, thing, or event”, Elaine and her husband Alex co-founded CaregiverHelp.com. Their online, video-based caregiver support program features real-life caregiving experiences of family and professional caregivers. There are tons of videos from live presentations as well as instructive and humorous animated videos.

When you go to CaregiverHelp.com, be sure to click on the cartoon video “Claudia Robs a Bank”. This video is based on a whacky plan a very dear elderly woman shared with Elaine when she spoke at a conference for people who are caring for loved ones with Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease.

Make sure to click on the “Preview Now” tab. You can watch the entire module on Caregiver Guilt. If you like what you see, you can sign up for a free one-week trial.

Finally, if you would like to share your story; if you have a question you’d like to ask, or a rant you’d like to get off your check, connect with Elaine on Facebook, and she’ll do her best to respond.

The post Caregiver Help Radio – Unplug from the Politics of Healthcare appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Our brain is the control center for our lives. Everything we do, think, or feel is processed in our brain. The way our brain functions defines who we are, how we live, and how we interact with others, so when a brain is damaged, the results can be devastating to the individual as well as to his or her family members, friends, and co-workers.

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Join us as we talk about traumatic brain injuries with Dr. Thomas Watanabe, clinical director of the Drucker Brain Injury Center at MossRehab in Philadelphia. In addition to discussing the impact a TBI can have on a person’s physical capabilities, we talk about how it can also impact an individual’s personality, and why people who have sustained a brain injury should avoid drinking alcohol. If you’d like more information about the impact traumatic brain injuries and strategies for treatment, check out the Brain Injuries Fact Sheet provided by Moss Rehab.

Dr. Watanabe is actively involved in inpatient and outpatient clinical care as well as research and training of resident physicians and medical students. His primary clinical and research focus is on the medical management of individuals with traumatic brain injury. He’s authored numerous research and review articles and book chapters related to rehabilitation medicine, and he lectures extensively at conferences throughout the world. In addition to all of that, he is an Associate Professor at the Temple University School of Medicine.

We also visit with Dr. Mary Lovely, Senior Advisor with The American Brain Tumor Association. Dr. Lovely is a PHD certified neuro science registered nurse. She has an extraordinary background in neuro science and neuro oncology. She earned a Doctorate in Nursing focusing on brain tumor symptom management, and has over 20 years’ experience in working with patients and families afflicted with brain tumors. In addition to her work with the American Brain Tumor Association, she is an Assistant Adjunct Professor in the School of Nursing at University of California San Francisco.

We wrap up the program with a conversation with Howard Martin, Executive Vice President of HeartMath. We talk about relaxation strategies for caregivers. Howard is an author, speaker, musician and trainer. He is a member of the Transformational Leadership Counsel, an exclusive organization founded by author Jack Canfiel. He’s also a member of Evolutionary Leaders an organization founded by Depak Chopra consisting of leaders in the field of conscious evolution.

Caring for a loved one who has suffered an injury to the brain, whether it is due to an injury, a tumor, a stroke, or a progressive and degenerative disease like Alzheimer’s can be frustrating and heartbreaking. If you’d like help coping with the emotional stress you are experiencing as a result of caring for a loved one, be sure to visit Elaine’s website CaregiverHelp.com.

The post Caregiver Help Radio – All About the Brain – Understanding the Impact of Brain Tumors and Traumatic Brain Injuries appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Maintaining your own physical, emotional, and mental balance while caring for a loved one, meeting the demands of a career and the needs of other family members is tricky. (To say the least!) It’s a lot like trying to hold a beach ball under water. Just about the time you think you have your arms around it, the ball shoots out of your hands, your face gets splashed, and every bit of control you thought you had disappears.

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Regardless of your care receiver’s injury, illness, or disability, you will experience stress. That’s a given. You will also have to learn how to adapt to a constantly changing environment. Just like holding a beach ball under water – as soon as you think you have control of the situation, something changes, and you find yourself coping with a new and different set of challenges.

When you’re in the middle of it, you may find yourself wishing that it would all just end. But it’s important to understand that when your caregiving journey ends, another journey through grief begins.

Join us as we visit with Jane Meier Hamilton, author of “The Caregiver’s Guide to Self-Care: Help for Your Caregiving Journey”. Jane is the CEO and Founder of Partners on the Path, a company that provides corporate-sponsored programs that help caregivers stay productive at work and compassionate when caring. We discuss how organizations can support employees as they go through the caregiving process. The cost to Corporate America is estimated to be as high as $35 billion annually, so organizations are starting to become aware that in order to prevent employee turnover and lost productivity, they will need to find ways to support their employees as they care for aging, chronically ill, or disabled loved ones.

We also visit with Dr. Renee Sunday, author of the book, “Sunday Grief” and co-host of the “Living Day by Day” TV show. Dr. Sunday is an anesthesiologist from Georgia who talks about her journey through loss and grief after the death of her brother.

Both guests talk about the importance of seeking support and the power of positive thinking, and Elaine tells how she learned to choose her attitude toward any given set of circumstances while watching her mother milk cows.

If you’d like help coping with the emotional stress of caregiving, please visit Elaine’s online, video-based caregiver support program, CaregiverHelp.com.

If you’d like to share a story, ask a question, or write a rant, connect with her on Facebook.

The post Caregiver Help Radio – Keeping Your Balance Through Caregiving and Grief appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Most of us will face a difficult challenge at some point in our lives. We get upset over problems at home and at work. Financial crises keep us awake at night. Broken relationships pierce our hearts. Our parents get sick and die, and our own health starts to deteriorate as we age. If we’re lucky, we find ways to adapt, adjust and work through most of our problems.

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Parenthood is forever, regardless of your baby’s health. But when you become the parent of a child with a severe disability, meeting their needs, providing for their care, and helping them create a life that is meaningful, rewarding, and happy, is extraordinarily difficult.

Join us as we visit with Tim Rocak, CEO of Garten Services, a not-for-profit corporation that provides training and employment to over 500 people with disabilities in Salem, Oregon and the surrounding area. With over 25 years’ experience in the not-for-profit field, Tim provides valuable tips on finding resources, making choices about living arrangements, and helping people with disabilities live their lives with a sense of pride, independence and connectedness.

We also talk with Peggy Graul, a master’s level nurse with nearly four decades experience in nursing education. Peggy is currently the Coordinator for Continuing Education for the University of Southern Indiana College of Nursing and Health Professions in Evansville, Indiana. She is also the mother of two children with severe disabilities.

Peggy and her husband Ron had a healthy and thriving two-year-old when she gave birth to twins who were born 2 ½ months prematurely. Both babies were born with severe spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy.

Peggy talks about her personal journey, the difficulty of caring for the babies at home, and the heartbreak she and her husband experienced when they realized they could not meet all of the children’s needs in their own home. Although it was excruciatingly difficult, Peggy and Ron decided it would be best for Megan and Andrew to live in a residential care facility. For the last 30 years the twins have received excellent care at the Wendell Foster Campus in Owensboro, KY.

You will be impressed with Peggy’s honesty and encouraged to know that it is possible to have children with disabilities and still have a productive, fulfilling life outside of your caregiving role.

If would like to watch the funny video that inspired Peggy to share her own story about caregiver fatigue watch: Claudia Robs a Bank. This story is based on a plan a dear, sweet elderly woman shared with Elaine at a caregiving conference in Milwaukee, WI last fall. If you are a caregiver, and you can identify with Claudia and Peggy, we hope you’ll continue to come back week after week as we visit with other people who will share insights on how to care for individuals who can no longer care for themselves.

The post Caregiver Help Radio – Raising a Child With Severe Disabilities appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.