A Free National Telephone Class and Webinar For Family Caregivers

In honor November being National Family Caregivers Month and NFCA being 15 years old this year, NFCA is hosting a free teleclass and webinar for Family Caregivers. Info is below:

A Free National Telephone Class and Webinar For Family Caregivers
on Communicating Effectively with Healthcare Professionals

Dear Family Caregivers:

In less than two weeks we will again be celebrating National Family Caregivers Month a special time, each year, to thank, support, educate and empower family caregivers nationwide.

This year, in honor of NFC Month and our 15th Anniversary, we are delighted to be hosting a FREE Family Caregiver telephone class called "Communicating Effectively with Healthcare Professionals" to help you improve communications with healthcare professionals and to become better healthcare advocates for yourselves and your loved ones.

Please plan to join us for this 2-part FREE class available by phone and Web on:
Thursdays - November 6 and 13 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm Eastern Time.

One of the most important attributes of being an advocate for your loved one is the willingness and the ability to speak up and keep your eye on the ultimate goal, protecting not only the health and safety of your loved ones but your own as well.

REGISTERING IS EASY - JUST CLICK:
WWW.THEFAMILYCAREGIVER.ORG

For more information call us at 800-896-3650.
This year, give yourself a gift by taking the time to learn how to communicate more effectively with health care professionals. It is a gift that can last you a lifetime.

Take care,

Suzanne Mintz
NFCA president and co-founder

9/11

My Worlds Collided Yesterday: RIP Don LaFontaine

Today I feel as if my worlds have collided:


My Voiceover world and my Caregiving world.



Don LaFontaine, THE premier voice talent, that truly gave a face to our industry, passed away yesterday. If you are not in the VO industry, you probably remember him as "The Movie Trailer" guy who parodied himself on some recent celebrity Geico Insurance TV commercials.

I was lucky enough to have met "The Don" at VOICE 2007 last year, where he spent over an hour answering questions from attendees, all hoping to gain some wisdom from his experience. He then spent another hour...or two...posing for pictures with each and every voice talent that wanted to after his talk...and that was pretty much every talent in the room! He was gracious to everyone and always had a kind and encouraging word to all committed voice talent.



I was lucky enough to meet him in a more intimate setting this past April, at Joan Baker's Voices Remember event, to raise money for Alzheimer's research. There I had a chance to have a great conversation with him and Joe Cipriano about the fact that there really is no competition in this business. Your sound is either right for the job, or it isn't.



I was also fortunate enough to meet Nita Whitaker, Don's beautiful wife, former nurse, his advocate and his caregiver. I was glad to have the opportunity to thank her for all she was dong to support him and his health.



I grieve for the voiceover community who lost its patriarch.


I grieve for the world who lost a truly wonderful human being.


I grieve for his family who lost a husband and a father.


He will be missed.


He will not be forgotten.

Don LaFontaine & his beautiful wife Nita Whitaker

(April 2008)

Family Caregivers Take a Game Break at Caregiving.com

OK!
This could be fun!

"To help family caregivers take a break without leaving the house, Caregiving.com debuted a game break section on its site today. Game Break currently features Solitaire, which stars the site's SuperHeroes. A Leader Board tracks the top scores, which reminds family caregivers that, although they play alone, they don't play by themselves. “Family caregivers feel very alone in their experiences. I hope the Leader Board will stir a little healthy competition while showing them that others play, too.”

To read more info click here.

Now go play! :-)

Because I Care Resource Fair - San Marcos, CA - Sept. 6, 2008

If you're in the San Marcos, CA area, this resource Fair may be of interest!:

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In 2003, Sharon Hamill, a professor of psychology at Cal State San Marcos, had a one-day event on campus for families dealing with Alzheimer's disease. Since then, the fair's scope has become broader to include other conditions such as stroke and diabetes.

“We found there was a need to expand the focus,” Hamill said. This year, the university has partnered with the city of San Marcos to combine Because I Care with the city's annual health fair. There will be 20 workshops on aging, family caregiving and living healthy lives.

DETAILS
Because I Care Resource Fair

When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 6
Where: San Marcos Senior Center, 111 Richmar Ave., San Marcos
Cost: FREE!!!!

Information: (760) 744-5535; www.csusm.edu/becauseicare
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Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Medications in Disaster And Hurricane Situations

With Hurricane season in full swing, this article from the Florida Department of Health is a great checklist of what meds to have ready to go in an emergency.

"In the event of a tropical storm or hurricane, you may need to evacuate your home and regular services may be temporarily limited. To ensure that you are able to continue taking your medications under such circumstances, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) recommends that you plan now by taking the following measures:

o Call your doctor now and request a 30-day supply of medication if possible.

o Get a pill organizer and pack enough pills for two weeks. Get assistance from your caregiver or medical professional in making sure you have packed enough of the medications you will need.

o Make a list of all your medications: how they should be taken, what time, etc. Make copies of the list. Put one copy with the medications; give one to a friend, and keep one with you at all times. Make sure to list any allergies, as well as foods you need to avoid. Your doctor’s name and emergency phone number should also be on this list. Your medical professional or caregiver should be able to assist you in this.

o Pack your medications now to have ready to carry with you at a moment’s notice.

o If you are taking prescription narcotic pain medications, keep them with you at all times.

o If you are on a special diet or require special supplements, take a two-week supply with you.

o Over the counter items that you should also bring with you: Pain reliever/ Ibuprofen, antacid, laxative/suppository, Imodium, Benadryl, decongestant, antibiotic ointment, lubricating eye drops.

o If you are using respiratory medications with a nebulizer, bring it with you."

A link to this article is online here

Stay Safe!

Spa Offers Support For Caregivers

If you're in North Illinois, check out this opportunity to gather information and pamper yourself a bit!

"Caring for a loved one can not only be a physical challenge for some, but for others stressful as well. And as family members strive to provide quality care for their loved ones, they may find themselves overwhelmed, stressed and frustrated.

Educating family caregivers and helping them maintain their own health as they care for others is the focus behind the sixth annual Spa for the Caregiver’s Spirit on Sept. 11, from 2:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, 19479 North Illinois 37, according to caregiver advisor Darcy Markwell."

To register for the Spa for the Caregiver’s Spirit, or for more information, you may contact Darcy Markwell at (888) 560-8805, Ext. 1062.

2008 National Caregivers Conference

The 2008 National Caregivers Conference has been scheduled!

When: Wednesday, October 29th, 2008
Where: Woodbridge Hotel and Conference Center Formerly the Sheraton at Woodbridge Place, Iselin, New Jersey

From the website:
Our conference will concentrate on the critical importance of caregivers. This year, we are coordinating a conference that will direct caregivers towards information on easily accessible, cost effective supports to all populations, regardless of age or disability. Knowledge of available resources can help to alleviate the stress associated with caregiving, sustain families and marriages, improve caregivers’ health and well being, reduce the risk of abuse and neglect, and minimize or delay the need for more costly out-of-home placement.

Info & Registration info here: http://www.nationalcaregiversconference.com/

Change of focus of this blog

Hi All!
Well, it has been a while, and I want to apologize, but I hope to do better.

I have decided to change the focus of this blog a bit.

While I'll probably still use it to "vent" a bit ;-) I'm also going to try & make it a source of general Family Caregiving info & links that you can use right away.

So look for some links & info to be coming your way more frequently!

Have a great day!

Peace!

Liz