When you fight hard, you seek out every possible resource and engage a great team, but then your family member dies and you feel you didn’t do all you could. We end up feeling guilty, even knowing that this is part of the process and it can hit us hard.

Watch Linda's interview with Valeria Van Booven of Approved Senior Network's Senior Care Industry Netcast. In this interview, Linda discusses her work with aging adults and their children, and what you'll find in her new Amazon Best Seller book, The Empowered Caregiver.

How does a caregiver become empowered and just what does that mean? Empowered may have different connotations for each of us, so I will give you my take on what it means as well as some tips to transform your caretaking journey.

Are your days filled with anxiety and fear that often lead to depression and hopelessness? Covid, fires, global warming, hurricanes, health, and the needs of so many across the globe can be overwhelming. Most of you, as my readers, are also caregivers for spouses, parents, other family members or are just concerned with your own aging journey. This issue of my newsletter deals with hope and some concrete action items. 

Giving 100% of their time caring for others. To be honest, the majority are doing it out of love, but for some, it is out of necessity and/or obligation. The cost of care is expensive. For some, they have the resources but don’t want to spend them. For others on the other end of the spectrum, they have not investigated government or community programs for low income.

When your beloved spouse or life partner of many years is faced with the onset of a progressive illness or a sudden life-changing health crisis, it can become your full-time focus. While one is a more gradual transition, the other is an immediate change. The focus of this month’s newsletter is how to survive the journey intact, possibly with some personal growth, and not to burn out and become ill yourself.

In this newsletter we are going to look at some of the patterns of resistance, what the brain function is that comes into play during these times, and how and when to proceed with an intervention and/or the steps needed for success.

My father was just “ripped off” again: “Dad, I have told you that buying items online is not a good idea if you don’t know the reputation of the company.” Bill’s father had been scammed by buying items from companies with poor reputations. He has been swindled out of money and had his identity stolen by making bad choices and giving out information that should be protected.

Most adult children or older adults are aware that at some time in the journey of life they might need a different level of care either in their home or in a retirement setting. In reality, the majority of families have not done any homework relating to this matter. There is something about human nature that procrastinates planning for something we have no desire doing. We don’t act and then we are forced to react during a crisis. Sometimes the decision is left up to family members or friends who might not have the background information or legal powers that might be needed.

Thousands of families had the support of day care or short hour shifts prior to the pandemic. They might have even had support from volunteers, family or friends. But, Covid-19 has shut the door on most in person support, leaving caregivers at their wit’s end, burned out, tired and feeling guilty because this person is loved at the same time as being a great burden.