Caregiving Awards 2007 - Metlife and National Alliance for Caregiving - "A Place of Beauty Journaling Progam" Wins Award

The 2007 National Family Caregiving Awards from the Metlife Foundation and the National Alliance for Caregiving lists awards for Caregiver Support, Caregiver Education, Alzheimers Caregivers Support and Education, Technology and Honorable Mention. "A Place of Beauty Journaling Program" at the Southern California Resource Center, San Diego, California, was one of two recipients of awards for Caregiver Support. "The Home Educator Program, " at the Alzheimers Family Services of Greater Beaufort, South Carolina was the other award winner in Caregiver Support.

The winner "A Place of Beauty Journaling Program" is a creative program that brings volunteer artists together with caregivers. The caregivers are encouraged to "find their voice" by knowing they have a "safe place to write down their passions, hopes, new ideas, and dreams."

The chance to use self-expression helps reduce the risk factors of caregiving, "such as emotional and physical isolation, and loss of self-esteem." Each journal is an original work of art that represents a complex journey. Journal writers are encouraged to "write from the heart... and rediscover their lost passions."

AlzheimersWeekly.com Caregiver Boards - "How to Dance in the Rain"

At AlzheimersWeekly.com forum moderator Ann writes on 12-23-07, "Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain." She relates a forwarded story about a man who kept going to the nursing home every morning to visit his wife, even though she didn't know who he was anymore. The point was that HE knew who SHE was, and true love never dies.

No longer do Alzheimers caregivers need to try to cope alone, now that they can connect online with others in the same situation. Recently a forum member at AlzheimersWeekly.com discussed coping with an alzheimers sufferer who keeps asking the same questions, saying "I am always calm and gently answer but my insides are churning and I wonder how many days, weeks, months , years I can continue this." The forum members offered their suggestions and plenty of good ideas.

AlzheimersWeekly.com offers "support and insight for the Autumn of life" and includes news articles, groups, forums, and a wealth of resources. The caregiver boards even offer a section for "Poems and Musings."

Dementia - Early Warning Signs - Forgetfulness, Confusion, Agitation, Inability to Organize

The video below titled "The Importance of Early Diagnosis" features an accountant who began having signs of dementia before the age of 50 and was diagnosed with it six years later. He and his wife describe in their own words the warning signs of dementia that he experienced, including losing things, inability to organize, upset, forgetfulness, and short term memory loss. The video emphasizes the importance of early detection.

Seniors and Alcohol - New Study Says More Than 1 Drink Per Day Unhealthy, At Risk for Falls, Social Problems, Medical Problems

A new study from the American Geriatric Society says medical problems, social problems, and falls are some of the results when older Americans consume too much alcohol, especially because the limits are much lower for older people. At msnbc.msn.com an article by JoNel Allecia, Health Writer, dated March 7, 2008 is titled "Last Call Comes Even Earlier For Senior Drinkers - More than a drink a day puts the 65 plus set at risk, new study says." The article says "nearly one in ten older U.S. adults is an unhealthy drinker" according to a new study published by the American Geriatrics Society.

The study says that more than 7 drinks in a week, or more than 3 in one day "exceed the recommended limits set by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism." A single drink is a 12 ounce beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor, according to the Institute.

The article said men under 65 have a different recommended cut-off limit, which is 2 drinks per day instead of one.

Health issues and combinations of medications can also make alcohol consumption limits change as people age.

Elizabeth Merrick, co-author of the Brandeis University study of 12,400 Medicare recipients in 2003 said, "A lot of people do not know the limits are that low for older people."

Stress Relief - Try This Music and Scenery in a Video Featuring Writing by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Pausing for a few moments to escape stress by watching a video featuring music, beautiful scenery and writing by Ralph Waldo Emerson provides a welcome uplift when the day has been a struggle. It's one way I unwind and stop the cycle of stress. Enjoy the video below, Kristi

SpiritsofCaring.com Plans Fundraisers for Hospice, Women's Shelter, Central Coast Seniors Center

At SpiritsofCaring.com you can read about the caring people who are raising money to make a difference for Hospice Partners of San Luis Obispo, the Women's Shelter of San Luis Obispo, and the Central Coast Seniors Center. Spirits of Caring is a component of the Center for Creative Thought, located at the Central Coast Seniors Center.

The two part fundraiser will include the following.

1. Saturday, August 2, 2008 there will be a Tri Tip BBQ, a Creative Auction, Entertainment and Live Music and Door Prizes at the Central Coast Seniors Center.

2. Saturday Nov. 15, 2008, there will be a Raffle, Live Music, and a salad luncheon, also at the Central Coast Seniors Center.

Uninsured? WorldMedAssist.com, Healthbase.com, and MedRetreat.com Provide Medical Tourism Info

Board certified physicians trained in the United States are available overseas at a fraction of U.S. prices at places such as Anadola Medical Center, India. Anadola is associated with Johns Hopkins (voted best hospital in the United States by U.S. News and World Report for the past 16 years.) At JointCommissionInternational.org you can read about international accreditation for hospitals outside the U.S. In the United States surgery for a heart valve is estimated at $100,000 at the WorldMedAssist.com website, but abroad it's estimated at only $12,000. A spinal surgery for total disk replacement in the U.S. is listed at $120,000 but overseas at $12,000.

At the many websites for medical tourism you can get information about the hospitals, procedures, prices, process of traveling for medical care, accreditations, and passport information. You can go to WorldMedAssist.com, healthbase.com, medretreat.com, or one of the other sites listed when you search for medical tourism to learn more.

The differences in prices between the U.S. and other countries are available. I found the following figures at WorldMedAssist.com.


knee replacement - U.S. $35,000, outside U.S. $7,000
hip replacement, $60,000, $7,000
rotator cuff surgery $35,000 $5,000
heart bypass $80,000 $8,500
angioplasty $60,000 $8,500
spine fusion $100,000 $7,000

Medical tourism hospitals often have large private rooms to accommodate the patient and a traveling companion. After surgery the patient has a longer period of time available to recover in the hospital and can stay in a nearby international level hotel for follow up and physical therapy before returning home.

Medical Tourists Heading for Hospital Angeles, Tijuana, Mexico for Care at a Fraction of the Cost in the U.S.

The video below explains that Hospital Angeles, Tijuana, Mexico, has become one of the destinations for medical tourists. United States residents who are not insured, or who are underinsured, need only travel about 23 miles across the border south of San Diego to obtain surgeries at prices that are a fraction of the cost in the U.S.

Uninsured? Need Surgery? At Wockhardt Hospital, India, JCO Accredited and Harvard Medical Associated, It's Usually 1/5 the Cost

This video about the JCO accredited and Harvard Medical associated Wockhardt Hospital, India, explains the high level of specialized care and low costs of having surgery there. Surgery often costs only 1/5 of what it would run in the U.S. For instance, a $40,000 surgery might only be $8,000. People who are underinsured, without insurance, or who do not wish to wait long periods of time for surgery in Canada or the U.K. are flying to the highly rated Wockhardt Hospital for their medical care. Medical Tourists are heading to India for care.

Music and Nature Give an Inspiring Uplift for Caregivers

During difficult times receiving an uplift from the inspiration of music and nature is such a help. The following inspirational video is for caregivers, care receivers, and all who can use a few moments of upbeat inspiration today. Enjoy!

Creativity and Caregiving - Reducing Stress by Creative Writing

For a change of pace I am offering some creative writing I did recently. Since I came back from my recent trip to the Oregon coast with crutches, one leg in a velcro cast and the other in several braces, I have been turning to creativity to reduce stress. I always enjoyed creative writing as a child. The Oregon coast was wild and inspiring. Along with slide shows in previous posts here is a bit of poetry about the "wild rivers coast" of Oregon.

The Oregon Coast Spirit

by Kristi Marie Gott

Remember images so soothing,

Such a comfort in the night.

Tall firs along a river.

Bare aspens, mountains beyond.

Wild beaches full of driftwood.

Redwoods for a hundred miles.

No sound but the wind and water.

Birdsong breaks the silence.

Elk graze near a lost lagoon.

Deer take dainty steps in fields.

Snow heavy on the fir tree boughs.

New ice like thin glass on ponds.

A dozen mountain ridges fade to the sky.

Imagine all that peace and freedom.

The spirit loosed from bonds flies high,

The wellsprings of the soul reborn.

Surviving Temporary or Long Term Disabilities - Disaboom.com

At disaboom.com people with a disability can join a community of bloggers who share the details of living with a disability. With both my knees in casts or braces after the accident and a set of crutches I am searching for ways to survive alone right now. With no one to lift a wheelchair into the car I am crutching around short distances and learning what it is like to use creativity to do even some of the simplest daily tasks.

Reading the blogs by people experienced with surviving with disabilities has taught me a lot about skills and mental attitude. For instance the blog at disaboom.com by michael_angel-o8, a TBI patient, tells Michael's story. In My Story and How I Make It Each Day he tells how he was almost crushed by a truck in 1980 and how he has coped with the disability.

If you read the blog by Tiffiny you can get insight from her experiences dealing with a personal care aide.

Blogger timpoindexter, who works for disaboom, has an informative post about Brian Sterner, the quadraplegic who was dumped from his wheelchair by a detention deputy. The video of this is also in Tim's blog.

People who are disabled, caregivers for those with disabilities, as well as those of us who have disabling injuries that make take time to heal, can join the community at disaboom.com and share with others as well as learn.