Your Proactive Caregiver Advocate Podcast: Dr. Cynthia Speaks!

Is it true, that music can calm a raging sea? It is true, that music can change one's perspective?  I found that music in the caregiving space made challenging days brighter. Listen in for more insights.

Accepting a difficult diagnosis of a loved one can be an overwhelming feeling. No one expects our loved ones to end up with a chronic illness, let alone a terminal condition. There is no right or wrong answer to managing in this environment. Listen in for more insights.

Making decisions for others as a caregiver can be a challenge. Often because we lack information and knowledge that align with our loved ones. What do you wish you would have known before becoming a caregiver? Listen in for more insight.

Summertime and the living is easy…Maybe? For the elderly, this season could create serious health problems. During the summer, older adults are at an increased risk due to high temperatures and humidity. Seasonal heatwaves are dangerous and deadly, so it is critical we are mindful as caregivers and those with elders under their care to pay attention.

Listen in for helpful nuggets.

Parenting your parents is a real reality.  Once an adult, twice a child is a true statement. The Circle of life shows us, if we get older, we will need support. The sandwich generation is in line to consider this thought. Listen in to learn more.

Paying attention to the skin of our aging loved-one and care recipients is critical. Our skin is the largest organ of the body, and we should take care of it. Our aging loved ones may not be able to check all the important parts of the skin if physical and health issues are present. Listen in for more insight.

What! You mean a caregiver needs to take care of self? Say it ain’t so!LOL!

As caregivers,  men and women, we become lost in our duties with little thought about self. I remember a time during my caregiving space; I wore the same tee-shirt for five days straight, with a spit bath somewhere in between. Yes, I said it. Yes, I admit it, and no; I am not ashamed.

All too often, caregivers ignore themselves for the duty of others.

Listen in for more insights.

Question…Is home medical equipment knowledge created equal? As our loved ones and care recipients get older and experience health challenges, medical equipment in the home may be required. Using medical equipment (also called durable medical equipment-DME) required education, instruction, and return demonstration.

Listen in for more insight.

For some reason, I woke up thinking about the many hymns my mother enjoyed. One, in particular, was the Church In The Wildwood(The Little Brown Church-(1932), which is very old, but mommy would hum it occasionally. One stanza that stood out was…No spot is so dear to my childhood… As the little brown church in the dell. Her childhood was full of music!

My mommy was born to a missionary mother, and her father was a Methodist (CME) minister. Music was a huge part of her upbringing. My mother knew what it did for the body, mind, soul, and spirit.

Listen In for more insight!

As populations age, an array of medications become a part of the daily routine. Polypharmacy means 'many medications. Adherence to a medication regime is necessary for a variety of reasons. But when older people do not take medication prescribed to them, problems can arise for both their long-term and short-term health.

 Listen in for more insight!