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Sara & Grandma Hit the Road

May 23, 2019

TCG Blogiversary Video Cover - Sara Bell

Sara is a girl after my own heart, because, like me, she cares for her grandma. We found each other in the Caregiver Collective, a Facebook group for millennial family caregivers.

Sara Bell is a millennial boss. Literally, she runs her own company teaching other people how to be bosses at event management.

Not only is she steering her own ship as a business woman, she is also a published author. Sara wrote a children’s book called, Nana Forgot My Name.

Sara inspired me when she told me about

  • taking her grandma on a cross-country road trip (jealous because my gma would never go for anything like that)
  • bringing her grandma out of her dementia shell, and
  • personifying Alzheimer’s to separate challenging behaviors from her grandma’s identity

Sara also shared her experience searching for a top notch Memory Care Facility for her grandma and the challenges of that process. You can tell Sara cares for her grandma deeply through her desire for a place that would focus on her social and emotional needs, not just her health and safety.

It was a pleasure getting to know Sara and hearing her journey. I know you will just love her smile and story like I did.

Visit Event Planning Support at https://www.eventplanningsupport.com/

Link: Buy the book, Nana Forgot My Name on Amazon

GIVEAWAY ALERT

You can win a copy of Sara’s book, Nana Forgot My Name. All you have to do is

  1. Subscribe to my YouTube channel
  2. Comment below who you care(d) for and share something you have in common with Sara as a family caregiver

· Blogiversary, Coping with Caregiving

Rick’s Story: going from bachelor pad with Grandpa to the Memory Care Facility

May 23, 2019

I met Rick in the Caregiver Collective, a Facebook group for millennials who care.

I’m honored to have Rick share his experience as a male millennial caregiver. Rick cares for his grandpa.

My interview with Rick helped reinforce the falsehoods of two common misconceptions about caregiving:

  1. caregiving is a female thing. Within the millennial generation, it’s almost a 50/50 split between males and females.
  2. caregiving is not location-based. It doesn’t matter where you nor your caree live… whether you live together or separately, close by or far apart, if you are contributing to the well-being and daily life of someone you love, you are a caregiver.

Watch this video and lean in as Rick shares

  • how he feels he was in a right-place-right-time situation
  • the emotions and challenges involved in watching his grandpa decline
  • and how he is recovering as a “post-caregiver” and coping with guilt after his grandpa transitioned to a facility.

In our interview, Rick shared the importance of reaching out for help, as well as not getting caught up on comparing your caregiving sandwich to that of others.

Rick is a great guy and an example for many to follow. His love and commitment to his grandpa shines through his story.

I love that he found a lady willing to support his caregiving role. Join me in wishing them the best of luck for a long and happy future!

· Blogiversary, Coping with Caregiving

Renee, the millennial caregiving technology powerhouse

May 23, 2019

I have been stalking Renee for the longest after I found her on Twitter.. She is kind of like Penny Lane to me. That’s because Renee is an emerging leader in caregiving tech. As a person who is obsessed with tech myself, I fell in love immediately!

Renee took home second place in last year’s AARP Innovation Grand Pitch Competition Finale. 

Renee was caring for both of her parents. Recently she lost her mom. She isn’t letting that stop her from making an amazing difference for millennial caregivers everywhere.

In this interview with Renee, you will feel what she is feeling when she shares

  • the challenges of navigating the complex service system
  • how it felt to watch her mom decline
  • what life is like after the loss of her mother

She told me about launching TechUrElders and how she is working to help millennials learn about how they can use technology to alleviate the burden of providing care to a loved one.

GIVEAWAY ALERT

In honor of Renee’s visit at the TCG blogiversary party, I’m giving away a BRAND NEW Google Home Mini that I got through a Nest promotion.

To win, all you have to do is

  1. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and
  2. Comment below the technology you rely on to get through your caregiving life.

Visit techurelders at https://techurelders.com

· Blogiversary, Coping with Caregiving

Lora: “I would not be who I am if it wasn’t for being a caregiver.”

May 23, 2019

TCG blogiversary video cover - lora williams

Lora is someone I have the privilege of personally knowing in real life. (What’s  real life anymore, anyway?) When I met her, I was just blown away by how cool she is. We have a small world story. At a WordPress conference, we discovered we were both caring for a loved one.

Lora has been caring for her mom for a long time. She began caring for her mom as a child. Lora is not uncommon. Chances are, you know someone like Lora, but because young caregivers are rarely talked about in the caregiving space.

I got to use the BLEEP sound in this raw interview with Lora. In our interview, Lora doesn’t hold back when she:

  • described her experience as a young caregiver and how it helped shape her world view
  • touched on how her caregiving role has made an impact on major life decisions and her finances, and
  • underlined the importance of talking about it (with others and professionals)

Lora is a member of the band Clearly Guilty and she is raising money for Extra Life. I’m proud that she is representing millennial caregivers and I know that she has a very bright future!

Check out Lora’s Band, Clearly Guilty, here: 
https://clearlyguilty.bandcamp.com/ 
Give Lora some money (for ExtraLife) here: http://bit.ly/ELloraW

· Blogiversary, Coping with Caregiving

Jenn took care of Grandma and she is “happy to do it all again.”

May 23, 2019

TCG blogiversary video cover - jenn chan
Photo: large group of millennial women and men at the National Caregiving Conference in 2018

Jenn Chan is from the San Francisco Bay Area and she cared for her grandma for a decade. I met her last year at the National Caregiving Conference when we hijacked the conference for a huge millennial caregiver selfie.

I love Jenn because she is in the BUSINESS of celebrating caregiving! I figured, who better than the founder of The Senior Shower Project to kick off this blogiversary party!

In our interview, Jenn got real on

  • how her perspective on life has changed since she became a caregiver,
  • how caregiving fueled a new idea for her startup, The Senior Shower Project, and
  • the importance of self care and how she found dancing to be a strategy for coping with feeling overwhelmed with caregiving responsibility.

I know after watching her video, you will think Jenn is as cool as I do. Her free, open spirit is infectious.

GIVEAWAY ALERT

  1. Subscribe to the TakingCareofGrandma YouTube Channel and
  2. Comment below who you care(d) for and what you do for self care and coping with stress as a caregiver.

Visit The Senior Shower Project: seniorshowerproject.com

EXCLUSIVE OFFER for my loyal TakingCareofGrandma.com followers
Thanks to the Senior Shower Project, YOU, my dear reader, can get 10% discount on online Caregiver Card orders during month of May at the Caregiver Cards online store. The promo code is TCGTURNS2. This code starts on 5/1 and expires on 5/31.

· Blogiversary, Coping with Caregiving, Uncategorized

TCG Turns 2: Welcome to the Party!

May 23, 2019

WELCOME TO THE TCG BLOGIVERSARY

Thank you for blessing us with your presence here at TakingCareofGrandma.com!
Welcome to the celebration!

Caregiving, even though it is a universal human experience, is not something that our society typically celebrates.

Instead of making a big deal out of it, often the challenges and blessings of caregiving, is swept up under the rug, us caregivers along with them.

If you know me, you know I like to make a big deal out of everything. We celebrate birthdays all month and start decorating for holidays early. To me, dates mean a lot.

A couple years ago, I started this blog on the anniversary of the date I became a caregiver, May 23, 2015 (Read more: http://rachelh15.sg-host.com/may-23-2015-my-own-personal-day-that-will-live-in-infamy/). It is a place where I share my stumbles and steadies and all the things I’ve learned in the days, weeks, and months that followed the commencement of my caregiving journey. Ever since, we have been celebrating caregiving here at TakingCareofGrandma.com during the month of May.

This year, we’re TURNING ALL THE WAY UP with gifts and giveaways.

The gift I’m most proud to present to you are the stories of five amazing millennial family caregivers who are proving the myths and misconceptions about our generation wrong.

It should come as no surprise to you that these interviews are emotional. That’s because caregiving is given out of love and concern for our family. It doesn’t matter who we care for, when, and where, caregiving can be tough. All I’m saying is, don’t be surprised if you find yourself tearing up or reaching for the tissues.

CELEBRITY GUESTGIVEAWAY
Millennial Caregiver Jenn Chan Senior Shower Project and Caregiver Cards
Jenn Chan
Premieres 7:30 AM Central  
Win 3 Caregiver Cards from the Senior Shower Project How: Subscribe to the TCG Channel on Youtube and comment on Jenn’s video
Millennial Caregiver Lora Williams, member of Clearly Guilty and ExtraLife crusader
Lora Williams
Premieres 9:30 AM Central
 
Millennial Caregiver Renee King techurelders
Renee King
Premieres 11:30 AM Central  
Win a Google Home Mini How: Subscribe to the TCG Channel on Youtube and comment on Renee’s video
Millennial Caregiver Rick Cabral
Rick Cabral
Premieres 1:30 PM Central  
 
Millennial Caregiver Sara Bell, author of Nana Forgot my Name and Founder of Event Management Support
Sara Bell
Premieres 3:30 PM Central  
Win a copy of Nana Forgot My Name How: Subscribe to the TCG Channel on Youtube and comment on Sara’s video

Giveaways you can win RIGHT NOW

  • Caregivestry.com Giveaway Box
    Get the details here: http://rachelh15.sg-host.com/whats-your-day-that-lives-in-infamy-giveaway-alert/

  • #Caregreen Shirt from Caregiving.com
    Comment RIGHT HERE on this page, below, who you care(d) for and what you find most rewarding about caregiving. ****THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS 5/24/19 at 11:59 Hawaii time****

Live PARTY

I’ll be going live to wrap up the party on the TakingCareofGrandma.com Facebook Page at 9:30PM central time for even more giveaways and some amazing updates about:

  • the Taking Care of Grandma Rap premiere
  • the release of the Head Caregiver in Charge Handbook
  • Why Car Karaoke isn’t Ready

I hope to see you there!

CONTEST RULES:

Giveaway comments and follows for all giveaways must be completed by 5/30/19 at 11:59 Hawaii time. You must include your email in the comments so I have a way of getting in touch with you.

· Blogiversary, Coping with Caregiving, Uncategorized

INTRODUCING TCG Blogiversary Celebrity Guest: Renee King

May 21, 2019

TCG blogiversary guest Renee King

Today, I am introducing you to my final Celebrity Guest who will be appearing at the TCG Blogiversary on Thursday! I found Renee on Twitter, like most good things. Renee is a millennial who cares for her father.

She has been helping her dad through a number of transitions, including putting her mother in a nursing home and, recently, losing her mom.

Using caregiving technology, Renee balanced managing her parents finances, worrying about their safety, keeping up with medical needs while working a corporate america 9-5 job.

In Renee’s video, she shared what it was like coping through these major changes.

She also talked about how her caregiving experience inspired her to find her passion, which is make sure caregivers know about the technology options that are available to help them care for their loved ones.

Check out TechUrElders, Renee’s blog and caregiving coaching biz. Renee is blazing trails for family caregivers DAILY. She even took Tech Ur Elders to second place in last year’s AARP Innovation Grand Pitch Competition Finale. 

Come back on Thursday to hear Renee’s inspiring story.

I’m so glad Renee is one of my partnas now, and I can’t wait to share her story with you. Meet Renee and hear her caregiving story right here at TakingCareofGrandma.com on May 23. I will be giving away a Google Home Mini when I release Renee’s video, so you will want to be sure and watch it!

Get the details about the festivities and sign up for updates about the TCG Blogiversary (including when we’ll be giving away prizes, like the Google Home Mini) here: http://rachelh15.sg-host.com/blogiversary/

· Blogiversary, Coping with Caregiving, Uncategorized

One Year of Blogging: Challenges

May 16, 2019

TCG TURNS 2 Challenges

Nobody’s perfect. Even though you might see me as a “caregiving expert,” I am still human. I have my stumbles. Things people say and do trip me up— hold me up, sometimes for days….

Even though outwardly it may seem like it’s all peaches and cream over here and I GOT THIS, I’m constantly on my toes,
predicting calamity, adjusting my strategy to counter interference from complexity, responding to all of the people and pressures calling my name, all while trying to maintain some grace and humility on this journey

Reflecting on the past year, here are the major challenges we’re working on overcoming or reined victorious as our rock has completed its 365 rotations. They might sound a little familiar, because they are the same struggles I shared with you last year.

What can I say?
I’m only human.

Dealing with Decline

We are all on a journey with the same outcome in the end. As family caregivers, we must press on, knowing that we are fighting a losing battle.

I carry it with me everyday. The anxiety that I must maximize the efficiency and joy of every single minute, because our precious time is limited (See: It’s Only Temporary).

This year, the connection in my grandma’s brain that helped her remember my relationship to her broke. She’s called me everything from her sister to her cousin and told me people like Uncle Kenny told her “XYZ” thing, when I know it was me.

Even though I have been assuming for a while she didn’t know me but was just masking her dementia, it has become very clear she doesn’t always recognize me.

I wonder, how much longer can I be the Head Caregiver in Charge if Grandma doesn’t remember I was ever in charge to begin with?

Working as a Team (the struggle continues)

forming storming norming performing

All high performing teams have a life cycle. Since last year, we have had a number of changes and transitions when it comes to Grandma’s supports and Sidekicks staffing pattern. Right now, our new team has moved past storming into norming. It feels good 😎😎😎

Despite my best efforts to improve, working as a team has always been challenging for me, especially when it comes to Grandma, because I have been in charge of SO MUCH for SO LONG. Sometimes it’s hard for me to accept the fact that others take some of the stuff off of my plate or let go of it altogether.

Also, I’m an only child. A loner, Dottie.

My friend, Gordon (@gordondym), a fellow family caregiver I met in the #latenite #carechat, calls it “I Spot it, I Got it” mentality.

I’m still working hard to disrupt this mindset by delegating tasks and making sure people have all the pertinent details of how I *expect them* to do that task* so I’m not setting them up for failure and setting myself up for disappointment.

That, and practicing the skill of letting it goooooooooooooooooo!

Managing Work-Life Balance

I’m the kind of person who never feels satisfied unless they are doing something. Sometimes, I find myself feeling slackerish from never stopping to take a break. And then I need to take a break.

I lovingly coined it “conserving energy,” to relieve the guilt I feel from not accomplishing as much as I want to everyday.

As cute as conserving energy may be, now that I’m self employed, time management has become of prime importance. I can’t spend too much time piddling around.

You know the cycle. We feel stressed out. We need to take a break. We are so tired from not taking one, that we give ourselves an even longer break. Then, hilarity ensues as we work to get ourselves back on an even keel.

Photo: handwritten schedule of Rachel's life

I’ve been working on blocking my calendar to include conserving energy so I don’t have to feel bad about it.

In fact, I’ve been working on blocking my calendar for a lot of things – Grandma, my graphic & web design business, my Certified Caregiving Consultant activities, my Sandwiched KC work, and yes, TakingCareofGrandma.com posts and promotion.

I have spread myself pretty thin, huh? Managing the projects that pay my bills (read: work), while making time for the projects that give me joy is always a challenge. That is why I’m trying to rely heavily on leveraging my calendar as a tool to accomplish my goal of taking over the world (MWAHAHAHAHA.. jk kind of).

In my short years here on earth, I’ve fallen prey to Parkinson’s law (the adage that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion”) far too often to let the universe suck my time away from me.

Putting Space between Loss

If you have been keeping up with us here at TakingCareofGrandma.com, you know that last year I lost a very close friend of mine after marching onto the front lines to care for him in the final weeks of his life.

Grief comes in waves. Sometimes big, sometimes small. It hits me everyday, sometimes out of nowhere. A person I see at a party who crossed our paths while he was here on earth with us. A familiar smell. A particular date.

All we can do when we lose someone is put some space between our loss and continue to press onward, recognizing that our memories and love for our person will always remain.

I thank God for the challenges I meet on my path.

If it weren’t for experiencing adversity and making mistakes, we would never learn and grow. In our stumbles, we find our steadies. That’s when we reach resilience.

Bring it on, world!

Here’s to the next year of adventures and mishaps!

I hope you’ll stick around with me for the TCG Blogiversary Party activities throughout the month!

TakingCareofGrandma.com Blogiversary #TCGTurns2
Coming up:
Be sure and join us for the Blogiversary Party on May 23, 2018! We will feature videos from real life millennial caregivers.

Get the details about the blogiversary festivities as we add events and more info becomes available! The link is: http://rachelh15.sg-host.com/blogiversary 

· Blogiversary, Coping with Caregiving, Uncategorized

INTRODUCING TCG Blogiversary Celebrity Guest: Lora Williams

May 13, 2019

TCG blogiversary celebrity guest Lora Williams

Lora Williams is a millennial caregiver living in Kansas City. She will be appearing at the TCG Blogiversary Party.

Lora & I have a small world story. Her boyfriend is a good friend of mine (we used to work together) and for years I knew of her. Last year, by fortuitous circumstance I attended the WordPress conference in Kansas City. I knew she was attending from her tweets so I sought her out, wanting someone I “knew” to sit with 😉

As we got to know each other, I discovered that she had been taking care of her mom since she was a child. And there you have it. It was the first time I ever met someone right here in town that was a family caregiver, too.

Lora is an amazing person. She is a super-fly marketer at a local ad agency. She is a budding philanthropist- raising thousands of dollars for Extra Life… and as if that weren’t enough, she’s also in a band that performs at renaissance festivals all over the country. All in addition to helping her mom. She is super #active.

In our time together, Lora talked about

  • her caregiving role and responsibilities and how they’ve changed over time
  • the financial impacts of caregiving
  • how TALKING ABOUT IT has helped her cope, and
  • the spoon theory

Check out Lora’s Band, Clearly Guilty, here:
https://clearlyguilty.bandcamp.com/
Give Lora some money (for ExtraLife) here: http://bit.ly/ELloraW

I’m so glad I got to know her as a person, and I am super excited to have her back for my second blogiversary. Meet Lora and hear her caregiving story right here at TakingCareofGrandma.com on May 23. At the celebration, you will meet her and four other amazing family caregivers. I promise you will be inspired!!!

Get the details about the festivities and sign up for updates about the TCG Blogiversary (including when we’ll be giving away prizes, like Sara’s book) here: http://rachelh15.sg-host.com/blogiversary/

· Blogiversary, Coping with Caregiving, Uncategorized

Party Favor Friday: #ACTIVATED Spotify Playlist (plus a bonus!)

May 10, 2019

Banner: ACTIVATED and Feeling Good Playlists for Party Favor Friday

Sometimes you need a jump start to get your mood right for the day.

This playlist is the perfect soundtrack for days when you just can’t seem to get it together or need some mental motivation.

Listen to it straight through or on shuffle.

Play on Spotify: http://bit.ly/tcgACTIVATED

Track Listing

  1. Go Live – The Popper
  2. Active – The Popper
  3. 2 Dollar Bill (feat. Lil Wayne, E-40) – 2 Chainz
  4. Make ‘Em Say Ugh – Master P
  5. No Limit Soldiers – TRU
  6. Tarantula – Mystikal
  7. Moola – CGZ
  8. Gucci Gucci – Kreayshawn
  9. Arthritis – The Popper
  10. Everywhere I Go – DJ Chose
  11. I Can – Nas
  12. The Boss – Rick Ross
  13. Doin Me Daily Feat Cap 1 – 2 Chainz
  14. Work It – Missy Elliott
  15. Game Over – Lil’ Flip
  16. Only Bein Me – The Popper
  17. I’m Different – 2 Chainz
  18. Moves – Big Sean
  19. Rapper’s Ball (feat. Too $hort & K-Ci) – E-40
  20. Ambition (feat. Meek Mill & Rick Ross) – Wale
  21. Sky’s the Limit (feat. 112) – 2014 Remaster – The Notorious B.I.G.
  22. Git Up, Git Out – OutKast
  23. Jump Around – House Of Pain
  24. Hit Me With Your Best Shot – Pat Benatar
  25. Deceptacon – Le Tigre
  26. Blitzkrieg Bop – Shonen Knife
  27. Danger! High Voltage (Soulchild Radio Mix) – Electric Six

BONUS PLAYLIST

Sometimes, you need a soundtrack for a great mood. The Feeling Good Playlist is just what you need to enhance your good vibe.

Play on Spotify: http://bit.ly/FEELINgood

Track Listing

  1. Holiday – Madonna  
  2. Let’s Go Crazy – Prince           
  3. Super Freak – Rick James      
  4. I Got You (I Feel Good) – James Brown & The Famous Flames
  5. Shit – The Popper     
  6. Insane in the Brain – Cypress Hill       
  7. Just Another Day – Too $hort             
  8. B.I.D – Tory Lanez    
  9. ZEZE (feat. Travis Scott & Offset) – Kodak Black          
  10. Flossin’ (feat. Big Moe) – Mike Jones
  11. Ain’t Worried About Nothin – French Montana           
  12. Top Of The World – 8Ball & MJG        
  13. Player’s Ball – OutKast           
  14. Tops Drop – Fat Pat 
  15. No Worries – Lil Wayne         
  16. Can’t Tell Me Nothing – Kanye West 
  17. Fellin’ Myself – Mac Dre        
  18. SpottieOttieDopaliscious – OutKast  
  19. It’s A Vibe – 2 Chainz              
  20. Appletree – Erykah Badu       
  21. Touch The Sky – Kanye West
  22. Can I Kick It? – A Tribe Called Quest  
  23. The Choice Is Yours (Revisited) – Black Sheep              
  24. Hip Hop Hooray – Naughty By Nature             
  25. Hey Ya! – OutKast    
  26. Ordinary Thugz – The Jacka Presents Ampichino         
  27. Electric Relaxation – A Tribe Called Quest      
  28. Vivrant Thing – Club Mix – Q-Tip         
  29. I Left My Wallet in El Segundo – A Tribe Called Quest
  30. Island In The Sun – Weezer   
  31. I Was Born (A Unicorn) – The Unicorns           
  32. Jumble, Jumble – The White Stripes  
  33. Have Mercy – Loretta Lynn   
  34. Zero – Remastered 2012 – The Smashing Pumpkins    
  35. Screwdriver – The White Stripes        
  36. Cherry Bomb – The Runaways            
  37. Two Tickets to Paradise – Eddie Money          
  38. Aeroplane – Red Hot Chili Peppers    
  39. Life Is Wonderful – Jason Mraz           

What are your favorite songs for motivation?
What about when you are feeling irie????
Drop ’em in the comments below!

· Blogiversary, Coping with Caregiving, Uncategorized

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