Statewide Transition Conference for Parents

The Arc of Massachusetts is holding a transition conference for parents of children with disabilities between the ages of 14 and 22. Attendees will be able to choose from a variety of workshops focused on the best practices of creating seamless transitions from school into the adult world.   The conference will take place from 8:00...
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Caregivers are Depressed

Interesting concept in this article - one of those things that you don't think of on your own, but when someone else verbalizes it, you say, "of course." The idea is that caregiver stress is in part driven by a tension in the caregiver's own psyche between giving up who she has been,...
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Caregiver Holiday Wish List

My favorite columnist, Michelle Singletary (The Color of Money) has done it again. She always has something spot on and practical to say. This week she cuts to the chase when it comes to caregivers - they are tired. They don't want bling or stuff that will end up on a shelf....
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Thrown into the Deep End

Did you see Michelle Singletary’s column this weekend in the Boston Globe? I like her column, The Color of Money. She writes in a straight-forward, honest manner, with guidance targeted at “regular folks” like myself. This weekend she wrote about essentially being thrown into the deep end of the...
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More Reasons to Write up a Caregiver Contract

I've been writing a lot about caregiver contracts lately. That's because they represent the ideal solution for so many families. Many children become part-time or even full-time caregivers for their aging parents. Sometimes a child needs to be paid for this - usually that is the only way she can afford to leave her...
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Caregiver: Care for Yourself, Too

Caregiver burnout is a dangerous side-effect of dedicating your time and energies to the care of a loved one. All the physical activity, combined with the worry, isolation, and frustration, make for a dangerous recipe. Families frequently come to me when Mom got sick from the exhaustion of caring for Dad.  Another common scenario...
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