Suicide is on the rise like never before. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that the U.S. suicide rate has jumped 30 percent from 2000 to 2016, and suicide is now the second-leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States. This may come as no surprise in a time when depression, anxiety, panic disorder, PTSD, and addiction are so prevalent in our culture. And suicide prevention expert Dr. Mark Goulston sees these shocking statistics as a burning platform to share an urgent message of help and hope to anyone who’s at risk. 

“Even with increased awareness surrounding the mental health issues that can lead to suicide, this tragic epidemic continues to claim lives,” says Dr. Goulston, one of the country’s leading experts on suicide prevention and the co-creator of the new video/podcast documentary Stay Alive, which is available here on YouTube (#StayAliveNow). “To stop it, we need to address suicide prevention head-on and not only find a way to reach people who are at risk, but promote understanding and compassion in society at large so that we can all identify and help the vulnerable people in our population. And there is no time to waste.” 

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Learning to provide the best care for elderly patients is an ongoing process for the caregivers. No matter how qualified and trained the professional caregiver is, there seems to be no end of earning. The chief reasons that make caregiving a complex and more fluid process wherein even hundreds of hours of training may not suffice are:

• Things need to be changed and adapted continually
• The condition and need of each patient is different 
• The emotional and mental conditions and expectations can rise and fall at a very rapid pace
• There may be confounding factors such as dementia and 
• Decline in cognitive thinking.

All these can affect the caregiving process and outcome and make it difficult for a caregiver to connect to the patients more effectively. Ii is even impossible for caregivers to provide better service if they are rigid and do not bend to the changing conditions and requirements of the older patients. 

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The intricacies and processes of aged care are straightforward to those who have experienced the service, but may be puzzling to those now approaching these facilities for the first time. There is so much information out there, but it’s hard to gauge which signposts to follow. So, how do you determine myth from fact, and know you are providing the brightest future for your elderly loved one? We’ve asked, answered and collated the questions that are asked most among family and future residents so you can make informed decisions.

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By Christopher Cussat

You may know five-time Golden Globe nominated actress, Marilu Henner, for the diverse and memorable characters she has played on stage, television, and in film over the past four decades.

Whether she is starring as Elaine O’Connor Nardo in Taxi, appearing as Aida Teagarden from Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ Aurora Teagarden Mystery series, or performing live on stage in her recent return to Broadway as Mitch’s Mom in Gettin’ the Band Back Together, Henner always injects vibrant passion and energy into the roles she plays. But perhaps the most personally important role she has ever played in her lifetime was that of caregiver to her husband during his battle with cancer.

Like sun and moon, Henner and her husband, Michael Brown, orbited around each other for many years before finally coming together. This trend of almost connecting began when Brown was her freshman roommate’s boyfriend as the two first became acquainted at the University of Chicago.

She remembers being drawn to him early on, “Although I felt a jump the moment I saw him, since my roommate met him first, I would never break the ‘girlfriend code’ and I didn’t dare twinkle in his direction.” But they all eventually became really good friends and often would even go on double dates during that time. [Read more…]

By Connie Goldman

For many years, I’ve collected and shared stories of those who have told me their personal experiences and learning. Through the sharing of a personal story, someone completely unrelated to the situation we are in is able to offer a source of comfort and inspiration. My wish is that their stories will bring you, or someone you know, an unexpected gift of both hope and healing.

I sincerely believe in the power of stories. I’ll now share a few short excerpts from some of the longer stories told in my books.

Excerpts from The Gifts of Caregiving: Stories of Hardship, Hope and Healing 

A Different Perspective

Lois will tell you that it’s never too late to heal old hurts, though. We talked about this when I came to visit her. We sat in her charming kitchen in a wooded residential area. Our conversation was about healing, not of the body but of the relationship between parent and child.

I had always had a very difficult relationship with my mother. And here I was thinking about bringing her to live close to me. I had spent a lifetime wanting a better relationship with my mother, but I had no clue how to fix it. We just couldn’t communicate.

I guess I secretly hoped that, living close to my mother, there might be a chance to work on a relationship that had disintegrated or maybe one that never really existed.  Not until I became her caregiver did I realize how much we both needed each other. Building a genuine relationship with my mom during the two years she lived here was a mutual gift that grew from my sharing what life she had left and then participating in her dying. [Read more…]

By Diane Gorgy

This question crossed my mind as my 86 year old mother was talking about her 93 year old sister. She stopped driving at 90 after an accident which involved hitting the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal, and was totally dependent on others for her needs outside of the home.

She had limited mobility and used a walker, so others had to maintain the house.  At a recent family gathering, her daughter-in-law said that she belonged in a “home”.  The family was shocked, and, of course, my aunt didn’t want to go into a “home”.

When is the appropriate time to put someone in a “home”?  My good friend faced this decision a few years ago with his mother.  She had advanced stage Alzheimer’s, was incontinent, lacked bowel control, and needed help for even basic needs.  After several years of caring for her, my friend was stressed out, depressed by the lack of support from his family, and had developed Afib. [Read more…]