Finding A Foothold

Caregivers Questions:

Calls this week were received on the website call-in line by caregivers who listen to this podcast.  Listen and hear advice given to callers who have the following concerns/questions:

  •  Wife whose husband just started dialysis has days when he is weak and can not assist much with his care.  Wife has a back injury and desires suggestions on how to help him.

•Daughter who assists mother who has had a stroke, states mother is receiving home health therapy but doesn’t appear to be getting stronger and mother does not feel safe with daughter walking her.  Daughter desires to know what to do.

 • Son, who lives out of town, realizes that his mother is struggling to put his dad’s wheelchair into the car to go on appointments.  Son desires suggestions on options available.

    • Sister, who is primary caregiver for mother, has concerns that her sister who comes from out of time to help, is doing too much for her mother when she helps their her.  

At the end of this podcast, I will provide some tips on planning your day to decrease injury risks and how to accept help from others.

Caregivers Questions:

Calls this week were received on the website call-in line by caregivers who listen to this podcast.  Listen and hear advice given to callers who have the following concerns/questions:

  •  Wife whose husband just started dialysis has days when he is weak and can not assist much with his care.  Wife has a back injury and desires suggestions on how to help him.

•Daughter who assists mother who has had a stroke, states mother is receiving home health therapy but doesn’t appear to be getting stronger and mother does not feel safe with daughter walking her.  Daughter desires to know what to do.

 • Son, who lives out of town, realizes that his mother is struggling to put his dad’s wheelchair into the car to go on appointments.  Son desires suggestions on options available.

    • Sister, who is primary caregiver for mother, has concerns that her sister who comes from out of town to help, is doing too much for her mother when she helps their mother.  

At the end of this podcast, I will provide some tips on planning your day to decrease injury risks and how to accept help from others.


Do you have a caregiving challenge?  Are you struggling to figure out the "HOW TO" of caregiving.  You can also call the podcast call-in line by visiting the website and you can call 225-443-9447.

Visit http://FindingAFoothold.com to learn about our community of caregivers.

Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/findingafoothold/

Like us on Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/FindingAFoothold/

Calls this week were received on the website call-in line by caregivers who listen to this podcast.  Listen and hear advice given to callers who have the following concerns/questions:

  •  Daughter with mother who has had open heart surgery and has instructions not to use her arms to push up off of a chair.  Daughter wants to know how to help mom.

    •  Re-airing of a previous call from Brian who called in a challenge, hear how it was resolved.

    •  Daughter caring for mom wants to know if a rollator is safe for mom to use.

    • Son caring for mom, mom is newly wheelchair confined, son wants to know if mom can be left at home alone now that she is in a wheelchair.

Visit http://FindingAFoothold.com to learn about our community of caregivers.

At the end of this podcast, I will provide Hurricane Preparedness strategies to help caregivers be ready in event of inclement weather and evacuations during this hurricane season.

Emergency Preparedness:

Don’t be caught off guard during this hurricane season.  You must be prepared.  As caregivers, increased consideration must be given to all details of the preparation.  Caregivers often require more time to prepare and must also built in additional safety measures to ensure that they remain connected to their loved ones and that their loved ones needs will be provided for.    Preparing when you have loved ones with physical and cognitive deficits is very challenging.

On this episode, you will hear tips and strategies from the Alzheimers Organization and additional tips to take into consideration while you are making your preparations.

https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/safety/in-a-disaster

Caregivers Questions:

Calls this week were received on the website call-in line by caregivers who listen to this podcast.  Listen and hear advice given to callers who have the following concerns/questions:

  •  Daughter with mother who has had open heart surgery and has instructions not to use her arms to push up off of a chair to stand.  Daughter wants to know how to help mom.

    •  Re-airing of a previous call from Brian who called in a challenge, hear how it was resolved.

    •  Daughter caring for mom wants to know if a rollator is safe for mom to use.

    • Son caring for mom, mom is newly wheelchair confined, son wants to know if mom can be left at home alone now that she is in a wheelchair.


Do you have a caregiving challenge?  Are you struggling to figure out the "HOW TO" of caregiving.  You can also call the podcast call-in line by visiting the website and you can call 225-443-9447.

Visit http://FindingAFoothold.com to learn about our community of caregivers.

Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/findingafoothold/

Like us on Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/FindingAFoothold/




At the end of this podcast, I will provide Hurricane Preparedness strategies to help caregivers be ready in event of inclement weather and evacuations during this hurricane season.

Emergency Preparedness:

Don’t be caught off guard during this hurricane season.  You must be prepared.  As caregivers, increased consideration must be given to all details of the preparation.  Caregivers often require more time to prepare and must also built in additional safety measures to ensure that they remain connected to their loved ones and that their loved one’s needs will be provided for.  

On this episode, you will hear tips and strategies from the Alzheimers Organization and additional tips to take into consideration while you are making your preparations.

https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/safety/in-a-disaster

Having the ability to stand and walk is very valuable and often we don’t even think about it until the ability to do it has been lost.  Unfortunately many elderly or disabled individuals lose this ability due to balance deficits, poor endurance or other impairments.  Use of a wheelchair then becomes essential for mobility, allowing for them to travel from one location to another.  

Proper positioning in the wheelchair is very important in order to be safe, sit comfortable and to allow for participation in functional tasks while seated in the wheelchair.    When proper wheelchair position is not achieved, your loved one will be unable to sit  securely in the wheelchair.  When not positioned properly, they can begin to slide down in the wheelchair, and must be repositioned frequently.

In this podcast, you will learn the Five Keys To Prevent Sliding Down In Wheelchairs.

The call-in segment of this episode also addresses calls received on the website call-in line from the Finding A Foothold community.  

Listen and hear advice given to a caller who have the following concerns/questions:

    •    Daughter thinks mom should be dressing herself.

    •    Wife with question about how to assist husband with dressing when he is wearing a back brace.

    •    Son caring for mom with broken ankle who can not but weigh on that foot

    •    Daughter feeling angry with mom who is expecting too much help from her.

      Visit http://FindingAFoothold.com to learn about our community of caregivers.

Having the ability to stand and walk is very valuable and often we don’t even think about it until the ability to do it has been lost.  Unfortunately many elderly or disabled individuals lose this ability due to balance deficits, poor endurance or other impairments.  Use of a wheelchair then becomes essential for mobility, allowing for them to travel from one location to another.  

Proper positioning in the wheelchair is very important in order to be safe, sit comfortable and to allow for participation in functional tasks while seated in the wheelchair.    When proper wheelchair position is not achieved, your loved one will be unable to sit  securely in the wheelchair.  When not positioned properly, they can begin to slide down in the wheelchair, and must be repositioned frequently. 

In this podcast, you will learn the Five Keys To Prevent Sliding Down In Wheelchairs.

The call-in segment of this episode also addresses calls received on the website call-in line from the Finding A Foothold community.  

Listen and hear advice given to callers who have the following concerns/questions:

    •    Daughter thinks mom should be dressing herself.

    •    Wife with question about how to assist husband with dressing when he is wearing a back brace.

    •    Son caring for mom with broken ankle who can not put weight on that foot

    •    Daughter feeling angry with mom who is expecting too much help from her.



Do you have a caregiving challenge?  Are you struggling to figure out the "HOW TO" of caregiving.  You can also call the podcast call-in line by visiting the website and you can call 225-443-9447.

Visit http://FindingAFoothold.com to learn about our community of caregivers.

Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/findingafoothold/

Like us on Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/FindingAFoothold/

Caregivers, you take on this role of “giving care” to fill a need in the life of your loved one. You give of your time and effort to ensure that those needs are met but you often do this at the expense of your own health. You fail to continue to “give care” to yourself.

It is essential that you engage in self-care activities. It is vital that you organize your thoughts, your time and your environment so that you can carve out the time needed to add in the activities that are fun and meaningful to you. What are those activities that you need to add back into your life?

You can start today, pushing away feelings of guilt and begin to realize that your first obligation is to yourself.

Caregivers, you take on this role of “giving care” to fill a need in the life of your loved one.  You give of your time and effort to ensure that those needs are met but you often do this at the expense of your own health.  You fail to continue to “give care” to yourself. 

It is essential that you engage in self-care activities.  It is vital that you organize your thoughts, your time and your environment so that you can carve out the time needed to add in the activities that are fun and meaningful to you.  What are those activities that you need to add back into your life?

You can start today, pushing away feelings of guilt and begin to realize that your first obligation is to yourself.

Listen and hear advice given to callers who have the following concerns/questions:

    •    Call wanting advise on getting into tub after having back and leg surgeries.

    •    Caller gave encouraging words to caregiver caring for someone with heel wounds.

    •    Daughter asking if should purchase a walk-in tub for parents

    •    Son concerned about parents home becoming cluttering and fall concerns

Do you have a caregiving challenge?  Are you struggling to figure out the "HOW TO" of caregiving.  You can also call the podcast call-in line by visiting the website and you can call 225-443-9447.

Visit http://FindingAFoothold.com to learn about our community of caregivers.

Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/findingafoothold/

Like us on Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/FindingAFoothold/

Caregivers are wonderful about seeing to the needs of their loved ones, making sure they are well taken care of.  Caregivers spend countless hours preparing meals, managing medications, helping with personal hygiene tasks, and many many other chores.  But they often neglect themselves.  They can go months without engaging in fun social activities with friends or participating in their favorite hobbies.  Caregivers can lose a sense of hope and joy when they do not properly balance caregiving with self-care.   Summertime is a time that caregivers can reboot and reset their lives.  They reclaim their life by engaging in self-care activities and it can start now.   

There are Three Easy Steps To Start Self-care This Summer.  

1. Find A Support System.

2. Make Vital Doctor Appoints

3. Make Plans for Fun.

Listen to this podcast to learn how to develop your plan.

The call-in segment of this episode also addresses calls received on the website call-in line from The http://FindingAFoothold.com community.  Listen and hear advice given regarding a parent who refuses to use a walker in public, difficulty of son getting dad out of house for doctor appointments and a caregiver who has notices bruises on the heels of her sister.

Links For Ramps Built for Elderly and Veterans:

VA Programs: https://www.militaryonesource.mil/military-life-cycle/veterans-military-funeral-honors/make-a-home-accessible-with-department-of-veterans-affairs-programs

The Gift of Accessible Ramps For Veterans: https://handiramp.com/blog/the-gift-of-accessible-ramps-for-veterans

http://www.ramps.org/free-ramps.htm

https://www.payingforseniorcare.com/financial-assistance/wheelchair-ramps-medicare