FROM THE EDITOR'S PEN
/Lenora's Mom /
Editorial List
My brother Steven and I were at lunch with one of the nations
leading caregiver advocates last week, let's call her Lenora, who
shared something quite revealing about the nature of caregiving. We
were at the annual American Society on Aging/National Council on
Aging conference among four thousand others who are also dedicated
to supporting family caregivers. It was an extremely exciting week
as we met with and bumped into many of the folks we communicate with
throughout the year. During the aforementioned lunch, on the last
day of the conference, our luncheon guest was telling us about her
93 year old mother who has been able to live independently until
recently. It took all of Lenora's considerable skills of persuasion
to get her mom to interview candidates for her home health
assistant.
After the third attempt at setting meetings was cancelled by her
mom, Lenora asked her mom why she was canceling previously confirmed
appointments. The answer foretold of the challenges Lenora was to
face, "Well, dear" stated Mom, "It's just not my cup of tea."
This story confirms my theory that some of the toughest caregiving
challenges are faced by those professionals who adroitly advise
hundreds of families, but when first faced with the middle of the
night emergency call about his or her own family member, are simply
loving family members in need of guidance. And that is a good thing,
because what connects all caregivers is our love and desire to make
things better, whether for a client or a family member.
articles/caregiver/top_needs_provider.htm
Gary Barg
Editor-in-Chief
gary@caregiver.com
