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Featured Guest Blog: Dr. Zachary White discusses The Challenges and Benefits of Explaining Yourself and Your Care Situation(s) to Family, Friends, and Health Professionals. As well as, how the Caregiver Transformation Retreat, facilitated by himself, Amanda LaRose, Donna Thomson and Aaron Blight will help address these caregiving challenges. When care meets love, everything […]
Featured Guest Blog:
Dr. Zachary White discusses The Challenges and Benefits of Explaining Yourself and Your Care Situation(s) to Family, Friends, and Health Professionals. As well as, how the Caregiver Transformation Retreat, facilitated by himself, Amanda LaRose, Donna Thomson and Aaron Blight will help address these caregiving challenges.
When care meets love, everything changes. Once you become a caregiver, your existing relationship with your loved one is both the same and different. Your relationship with your friends and family is both the same and different. And nearly everything you once took for granted—the parts of your life that made so much sense—may suddenly feel strange and unfamiliar, overwhelming and disorienting.
My own life experiences as a caregiver, my role as a professor of communication, and my academic research on caregiving across the life spectrum tell me that caregiving is not only about what you do with your loved one, but also how you begin making sense of what is happening to you and your loved one, and how you seek to share your care experiences with others.
Too often, we feel compelled to put on caregiver masks to “protect” our loved ones and save our precious emotional energy from others’ well intentioned but often disappointing responses. Over time, we may find ourselves simply giving people what we think they want to hear, creating feelings of aloneness and resentment.
Unless we give ourselves permission to meaningfully examine how our caregiver role and relationship impacts our beliefs, values, and ways of connecting with others, we will remain voiceless, adrift in other people’s clichés and assumptions. Too often, caregivers miss out on the opportunity to collaboratively engage others in the midst of their care experiences.
I am proud to be a part of the Caregiver Transformation Retreat because caregiving requires that we reorient ourselves to what is happening so we can begin reclaiming the meaning(s) of our care experiences in ways that work for us.
Together, at the Retreat, we will learn communication skills and strategies designed to help you communicate more effectively and authentically with audiences that matter to you.
Together, we will discuss new ways of of thinking about and sharing your experiences that more closely align with your lived experiences, care constraints, and emerging values and insights.
Together, we will practice how to explain difficult truths to family, friends, work colleagues, and providers.
Together, we will explore the value of sharing “good” news so that the full range of your everyday care experiences are identified, remembered, and valued, increasing the likelihood of ongoing caregiver self-compassion and resilience.
Together, we will enhance your connection literacy to help you better identify and receive the kinds of in-person and online support that are most useful and valuable to you throughout your care journey.
Whomever we are and wherever we are in our care journeys, we can only find ourselves when we hear ourselves, out loud, begin to integrate and communicate the parts of our care experiences that make us—us. It’s never too early or too late to begin this process . . .
Dr. Zachary White earned his Ph.D. in communication from Purdue University. He is an Associate Professor in the James L. Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte. His research and teaching explore a range of care experiences, including birth (parental NICU experiences), chronic caregiver experiences (spousal caregiving), and end-of-life caregiving. As an award winning university professor, Zachary teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses addressing topics such as provider-patient communication, caregiver communication, the patient experience, health and illness narratives, digital health literacy, online social support, and sense making amidst life transitions. He is the co-author (with Donna Thomson) of The Unexpected Journey of Caring: The Transformation from Loved One to Caregiver (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019). He blogs at The Unprepared Caregiver (www.unpreparedcaregiver.com).
As people age they often acquire difficulties with their health and daily functioning and therefore have more stress and more things to “manage”. It can become a full-time job taking care of one’s life as they navigate through the aging process, whether it is the individual themselves managing everything or a family member or friend. […]
As people age they often acquire difficulties with their health and daily functioning and therefore have more stress and more things to “manage”. It can become a full-time job taking care of one’s life as they navigate through the aging process, whether it is the individual themselves managing everything or a family member or friend. We often see these circumstanced lead to increased frustration, worry, sadness, and a loss of the ability to have enough time to take part in enjoyable activities. Because there are multiple health issues to deal with and therefore many appointments, in addition to all of the other daily life tasks, people can become overwhelmed and sometimes forget appointments or plan for them on the wrong day. If you or someone you know is experiencing something similar to this, we encourage you to ask for help in managing some of this, so you and your loved ones can still have time and energy for enjoyable activities in your day to day lives!
People can get confused with all the terms used for illnesses these days. For example, in eldercare I often here people say “I don’t have Dementia, I have Alzheimer’s Disease,” or “I would rather have Dementia than Alzheimer’s Disease.” Therefore, I thought it would be helpful to explain the terms, along with some other ideas […]
People can get confused with all the terms used for illnesses these days. For example, in eldercare I often here people say “I don’t have Dementia, I have Alzheimer’s Disease,” or “I would rather have Dementia than Alzheimer’s Disease.” Therefore, I thought it would be helpful to explain the terms, along with some other ideas to think about. Dementia is the general term used for many types of irreversible cognitive impairment . Alzheimer’s Disease, Lewy Body Dementia, and Parkinson’s Disease, to name a few, are subtypes of Dementia. Even if someone has Dementia, they are still the person they were years ago, but at times it is hard to see them in this way. This is when people may tend to care for the individual rather then support and empower them to modify the ways they do things. For example, if someone who is experiencing short-term memory loss is having a difficult time remembering a word, we are quick to tell them the word so they don’t feel embarrassed, frustrated, or uncomfortable. I am not saying that is the wrong thing to do, but try to give them some time and then read their cues. They may try to figure out the word, they may move on and brush over it, or they may look in your direction or even ask for the word. If the latter happens, by all means, tell them the word. Just try to always remember the old age, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”
We often hear people comment about how fraility, pain, memory problems, sleep problems, loneliness, lack of appetite, etc. are a normal part of aging. These ideas and comments are common in our society, but they must be changed! Ideas and comments such as these have the potential to create a mindset that an elder should […]
We often hear people comment about how fraility, pain, memory problems, sleep problems, loneliness, lack of appetite, etc. are a normal part of aging. These ideas and comments are common in our society, but they must be changed! Ideas and comments such as these have the potential to create a mindset that an elder should tolerate these difficulties and learn to live with them. I am here to tell you that nothing about those difficulties are normal and there are many things that can be done to alleviate some of the effects. In our era, there are many resources in eldercare, but it can be difficult to know what resources are best for each individual, when to implement the resources, and how to support the elder in accepting the resource. Let us help you with these obstacle!
Why did our Owner, Amanda, start a business in eldercare? Amanda is fortunate to have relationships with her grandparents that last into adulthood. Because of this, she has learned how to engage with elders, how much one can learn from them, how difficult life can be but how people find a way to overcome those […]
Why did our Owner, Amanda, start a business in eldercare? Amanda is fortunate to have relationships with her grandparents that last into adulthood. Because of this, she has learned how to engage with elders, how much one can learn from them, how difficult life can be but how people find a way to overcome those difficulties, and how important the little things are in life. Amanda started working in Nursing Homes in High School. She is passionate about supporting elders in leading a well-balanced and fulfilling last phase of their life. As a Social Worker, she has learned that understanding who the elder is, and how they became who they are, is an imperative part of the Care Management process. She tells many people how her work is such an honor, because having someone trust you enough for them to tell you their most meaningful and personal stories is simply touching. Moving from the DC Area to Loudoun County, Amanda saw a great need for elder support services. Her expertise is in Counseling and Care Management. All of these reasons, and more, are why she created We Care Management, LLC.
BEGINNING We started our company with a mission to provide empathetic and diligent support in helping others navigate the aging process. Even though we are a growing company, we still have that small-business feel, and that means a commitment and a relationship to our clients. Our clients all agree that we offer the very best services […]
We started our company with a mission to provide empathetic and diligent support in helping others navigate the aging process. Even though we are a growing company, we still have that small-business feel, and that means a commitment and a relationship to our clients. Our clients all agree that we offer the very best services around, with the personal touch you’ve come to expect from us.
We Care Management, LLC started with a love and passion of working with adults to support them in coping with the challenges they face across the lifespan. This passion is our legacy, the very fibers of our community that has made us such an important part of the western Northern Virginia area.
We continue to be an important part of our community, so from our family to yours, please let us know if there’s anything we can do for you. Look to We Care Management, LLC for the personalized experience you might be missing from larger competitors.
This month we have the longest hours of daylight! This is wonderful for a lot of people, because it can be easier to wake up in the morning and when home from work you may get to spend time outside with family and friends. For elders with cognitive impairment, the summer can be difficult. The […]
This month we have the longest hours of daylight! This is wonderful for a lot of people, because it can be easier to wake up in the morning and when home from work you may get to spend time outside with family and friends. For elders with cognitive impairment, the summer can be difficult. The early sunrise and later sunset can disrupt their sleep cycle. When they notice the sun rising at 5:00 a.m. they may think it is time to get out of bed. At night, they may not know it is time to get ready for bed, because it doesn’t start getting dark until after 9:00p.m. Something that can be helpful if this confuses the sleep cycle, are room darkening shades. Another obstacle in the summer for elders at home, is getting dehydrated. Drinking water is a double edged sword for a lot of seniors, because the more one drinks, the more they need to stand up, and walk to the restroom. If an elder experiences balance difficulties or incontinence, they are likely not wanting to drink a lot of water. But, things can be done to make it easier for them to get around when they need to.
Most people try to prevent the negative effects of aging by taking vitamins, exercising, seeing the Doctor regularly, using antiwrinkle cream and sunscreen, and eating healthy. This is a proactive approach people take to try to keep as much control over their lives as possible. Without a sense of control individuals tend to feel anxious […]
Most people try to prevent the negative effects of aging by taking vitamins, exercising, seeing the Doctor regularly, using antiwrinkle cream and sunscreen, and eating healthy. This is a proactive approach people take to try to keep as much control over their lives as possible. Without a sense of control individuals tend to feel anxious and overwhelmed. We are beginning to see more and more people, either adult children of aging parents or individuals themselves, be more proactive in planning for support at home as they age and start experiencing a loss of abilities. This is so important, because being proactive and putting a plan in place helps individuals feel a sense of control over the difficulties they are experiencing and trying to navigate. Also, establishing a trusted relationship with providers who will be a resource to you and/or your parents over time is much more effective than last minute, as a result of an emergency. This allows for your providers to get to know you better, and truly understand what is important to you. Therefore, they can better guide and support you through the aging process and help improve your quality of life. Please take this opportunity to reflect on how else you can be proactive in planning for your future, and begin taking steps today!
In most situations, the elders we work with have the goal of remaining in their homes for as long as possible or to live out their last days at home. Home care for elders is very possible with the right resources. Many adult children are the ones supporting their parents and trying to help them […]
In most situations, the elders we work with have the goal of remaining in their homes for as long as possible or to live out their last days at home. Home care for elders is very possible with the right resources. Many adult children are the ones supporting their parents and trying to help them stay safe and healthy at home. We hear many questions that ask when is the right time to implement various resources. Questions about what resources to choose because there are too many options. And also, how to convince the elder to accept and pay for these resources. In Northern Virginia, we are fortunate to live in counties that have an abundance of resources. Eldercare management helps people by assessing an elders level of functioning in order to make recommendations for the best resources and to put them in place at the right time. As eldercare managers, we have the skills to assist individuals in recognizing and accepting the resources they would benefit from. One piece of advice we give to the caregivers and responsible parties who are supporting the elder, is to help them come up with the decision on their own by giving them a couple of choices to choose from. This helps them feel they still have independence and the ability to make their own decisions as they have most of their lives.
Not many people know what Care Management is… this gives you a list of some of the things we provide as Certified Care Managers. Referrals to: -Physicians; Neurologist, Psychologist, Psychiatrist -Rehabilitation Specialists; Physical/Occupational/Speech Therapists -Home Care; Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA’s), Companions -Hospice -Assisted Living/Memory Care -Health Care/Nursing Home (long-term care or short-term rehabilitation) -Transportation services […]
Not many people know what Care Management is… this gives you a list of some of the things we provide as Certified Care Managers.
Referrals to:
-Physicians; Neurologist, Psychologist, Psychiatrist
-Rehabilitation Specialists; Physical/Occupational/Speech Therapists
-Home Care; Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA’s), Companions
-Hospice
-Assisted Living/Memory Care
-Health Care/Nursing Home (long-term care or short-term rehabilitation)
-Transportation services
-Hearing or Visual Impairment specialists
Assessment:
-Activities of daily living
-Cognitive assessment
-Mental Health
Treatment Planning:
-Working together to establish goals
-Developing steps and plans for oversight of progress to accomplish the goals
-Ensuring the rights of the individual are being followed
-Liaison between family members and resources
Education regarding symptoms and diagnosis
Individual and Family Counseling
