Can You Hear Me Now?

Listening effectively helps caregivers appreciate the present trading past roles and ill feelings for the richness of life through family history. Instead of responding in anger because a hearing loss prevents one from responding appropriately or in a timely manner, try speaking slower so an elder can read your lips. Smiling helps and alleviates fright. Staying with a paid caregiver while he/she becomes familiar with your parent or spouse helps soften the atmosphere with familiarity. The paid caregiver can see how you handle situations, acting rather reacting, and we can learn from them. Some of the best caregivers are professional geriatric care managers who interact with elders and their families, sometimes through mediation, but always with the best outcome in mind. What listening method have you found to be effective? No one can hear you when your head is in the refrigerator or 1/2 way out the patio door ensuring your smoking habit does not injure the house's inhabitants.

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

There are many struggles and rewards of grandparents raising their grandchildren. I was moved learning that there are scholarships for small entities like the Children's Playhouse in Boone (and possibly INK in Gainesville). This allows grandparents who cannot otherwise afford even the most nominal fee respite and a place to share activities with their grandchildren. http://www.goplayhouse.org/ There are also many grandparents picking up their grandchildren from school and offering care until parents return from their professional obligations. And please remember there is a population of grandparents who take their grandchildren to see their son or daughter who is incarcerated. Share your thoughts here without disclosing names, companies, or institutions to observe privacy. Where possible, provide a link to support your beliefs and inform others. http://www.aarp.org/ has ongoing discussion/resources on this issue.