In a recent conversation I was asked about caregivers who are kicking ass at caregiving. There are many examples of caregiving done right. I’ve written about a few of them over the past year:
The Creation of an Alzheimer’s Village.
I love this example. There are a lot of people doing a great job with assisted living, but these geniuses in Holland have taken it a step further. Instead of recreating the home (assisted living), they’ve recreated a village.
ALS is a bit too much to handle. Even for little ole inspirational me.
The Often Awesome Army helped Tim LaFollette as he battled ALS. This is a great example of the importance of a support group.
Born Just Right.
Jen Lee Reeves started a community around limb differences when her daughter was born. Jordan, age 9, is an extremely important voice for those with limb differences in the US.
Robot caregivers.
This totally freaks people out, but we should be open to it. There are many ways robots can help us be happy, or help us live the lives we want to live.
Who should I be adding to this list? Tell me a great caregiving story and I’ll write about it. If you don’t know of an example you may want to consider helping someone you know who is a caregiver. Perhaps your help can help them do something amazing. Read this (Don't ask what someone needs, offer ways to help.) and do something for somebody today.
P.S. If you're a caregiver and don't know where to start, the following might help you get started:
- Opening personal finance conversations with your family. These conversations can help you if you find yourself in an unexpected caregiving situation.
- It's not just about losing your memory. A few tips to help you understand how to interact with someone with Alzheimer's.
- 7 tips for online communities. A few tips for finding people like you.
- Is it politically correct to say disabled? Is it? Does it matter?
Additional resources
The caregiver section of this website:
Caregiver related articles:
The US transportation system falls short for the elderly. Understanding why can make it better.