Hope for the Caregiver

Kelly O'Connor joined my program today to discuss how she's helping families navigate the complexity of caregiving - particularly with seniors.  Kelly and Gracie grew up together - and Kelly is one of us. Not only does she have SIGNIFICANT caregiving experience, but look what she's done with it. With specialized certifications in Gerontology, Dementia Care, and Life Coaching and a master's degree...

Following the loss of her own legs, Gracie resolved to provide quality prosthetic limbs for fellow amputees. In 2005, she and I  developed a unique partnership with the Ghana Health Service to train and equip local workers to fabricate limbs for their own people. We call it Standing With Hope.  Click here to Donate Click here to recycle a prosthetic limb   

Many caregivers struggle with decades-old promises to make sure to "never put Mom in a nursing home." When making that promise, most recall healthier times when the thought of entering a facility seemed far on the horizon. Reality sneaks up on the best of us, and we find ourselves faced with uncomfortable circumstances.  The promise's tether can quickly transform into a noose around the neck of a...

When Carole Leathem's husband, Bill, first began his battle with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts, she had no idea years of rejection and identity issues would come to a head. After all, when you're the wife of a senior pastor, there are certain expectations that come with it. Imperfection and mental illness are not among them. Visit Carole's Site:   https://www.thecaretakersjourney.com/...

A close pastor friend of mine called me after burying his beloved dog. While digging the hole, he wept while angrily reflecting on how much he hated death. The conversation turned to the countless funerals he presided over during his ministry—I played the piano for many of those services. We talked a bit longer about some of the cherished families we ministered to during those funerals and discuss...

From the challenges of finding one's footing in music to navigating the fog of fear and obligation, we explore the caregiver's journey - and what happens when we lose our way. How do we get back on track? Listen for a compelling discussion shedding light on the struggles and triumphs of caring for a loved one. www.hopeforthecaregiver.com      

Winston Churchill stated, "We are masters of unsaid words and slaves to those we let slip out."  As caregivers, we live in a pressure cooker - and often spout off things we wish we could reclaim. Sometimes, we have to bite our tongues and learn to like the taste of blood. In this opening monologue from the program, I discuss this issue that affects everyone - it is the human condition - but we, as...

Host of the popular podcast Nutshell Sermons, recording artist Bryan Duncan (Grammy and Dove award winner) shares his journey as a caregiver for his wife - and his book, "Dear God ...Really? Prayers You Won't Hear in Church.

As caregivers, we often must make decisions that benefit the whole unit - not Just one person.   We get into the trap as caregivers where we're thinking of someone almost to the exclusion of everyone else,. I understand why - because that person has extreme needs.  But as a caregiver, YOU are meeting many of those extreme needs. What happens if you don't consider the person meeting the extreme nee...

Comedian and long-time Sinatra pal Tommy Dreesen tells a wonderful story about Frank Sinatra and a pair of cufflinks. This story has a powerful lesson for all of us, but particularly for those of us serving as caregivers. This and more from our broadcast on March 9, 2024 "None of this belongs to us, and as soon as we die, someone else is going to get it. It's going to transfer. Somebody will be we...

When I launched a caregiver outreach, I established a goal to help provide caregivers with a vocabulary that helped identify their feelings and needs. Without understanding, help remains elusive.   In this bonus segment from our broadcast, I provide two unusual examples of how caregivers feel on any given day. I do this to not only give fellow caregivers that understanding, but those who seek to h...

Covering a lot of ground in this episode as I delve into how we choose to view our circumstances as caregivers in light of what Scripture teaches.  www.hopeforthecaregiver.com    

For several years, Pat Montague has produced my broadcast, Hope for the Caregiver.   I recently talked with her about her own journey as a caregiver. "I have learned that leaning on the Lord for whatever he has in store is much more comfortable than resisting, fighting, and railing against what I don't like. I would have not chosen amputation for my husband, I'll be honest. He had other options th...

TRANSCRIPT: This is the program for you as a family caregiver. Healthy caregivers make better caregivers. Hopeforthecaregiver.com. You know about that last block, I ought to have a thing where you guys, y'all send us some lyrics for the song. Maybe we'll figure out which one's the best one, and I'll get Gracie to sing it when she starts getting better. What do you think? Because she said, Gracie w...

Recently, at a caregiver support group I lead, a man who is caring for his wife suffering from Alzheimer's, shared how she repeatedly peppers him with the same question.  "I sighed for a moment in my heart," he said. "And then I said to myself, 'He's got this; answer her question.'"   Listening to him, I thought, "What a tremendous statement of faith; to look at somebody who is suffering from Alzh...

People become disoriented in the journey of caregiving. Caregivers often think, "Okay, if I could get them to stop acting like this, if I could just get through this next procedure; if we could just see if we could stop this particular thing from happening, then we can have the contentment and the peace and the satisfaction or the stability that we're craving." How's that working for you? How's th...

"Life hands us very difficult things. How we deal with those things and how we work through those things is what this program is all about. We do it in the arena of being a caregiver."

One of the greatest thefts to family caregivers comes from our own hearts. We often steal from the moment to regret the past—or fear the future. Although yesterday's events may have arrived with tears and trauma, today remains an opportunity to calm our hearts and deal with current circumstances. As caregivers, we all know our tomorrows most likely show up with challenges—but unexpected joys may a...

    Let Your Scars Speak, Not Your Wounds.   One of the things that we've developed in our culture is this mentality of putting everything out there that doesn't need to be put out there.   You know, you can blame it on Jerry Springer, but it actually goes back a lot further than that.   But we have this, I don't know, there's some kind of sick fascination with getting out there and blurting out s...

In 2nd Samuel, there's a remarkable story about a man named Mephibosheth.  

Caregivers often find ourselves in the unenviable spot of needing to confront or provide leadership to people with far more skills and training than we possess. One of the ways we can navigate those times is by learning to ask better questions. Another is to educate ourselves. As we face the new year, I talked about those things and more.   

Waffles and Well-Being From extended hospital stays surrounded by faceless people in masks to longer nights where loneliness and fear serve as companions, caregivers remain prone to feeling adrift and disconnected.  Longing for recognizable landmarks that signal safe harbor, caregivers face the challenge of "re-anchoring" themselves—often in a storm. But it doesn't have to be complicated. During m...

From: A Minute for Caregivers - When Every Day Feels Like Monday "Happy New Year" can often feel perfunctory and even meaningless in the caregiving world. Most of us know that January 1, 2, 3, etc., usually brings the same challenges as the previous week and year(s). Yet, although our responsibilities may not change, we can. While many fall into the trap of ambitious but unrealistic New Year's Res...

Grammy Award Winner, Dove Award Winner, Artist, Songwriter ... and Caregiver, Laura Story joined the program to share her story, thoughts, and how her life as a caregiver.  laurastorymusic.com

A demoralizing point for many family caregivers lies in unmet expectations, hopes, and dreams. We often visualize what could be—but things beyond our control are roadblocks. Ashamedly, I admit to attempting control and trying to force things on more than one occasion—only to frustrate myself, my wife, and (many) others. Letting go of those hopes and expectations, however, can be painful. Over the...