Brummet's Conscious Blog

Book Review When I received The Sudden Caregiver - A Roadmap For Resilient Caregiving by Karen Warner Schueler , the book's topic brought up some haunting, memories of those who are no longer with us, parents we cared for during the end of their lives, friends we have said goodbye to, coworkers, neighbours and beloved fur-babies (aka pets) who have passed on.   As one ages, we come to realize that both caregiving and grief are guaranteed to touch our lives... sometimes monumental, heavy grief... sometimes mild and sad. I was a little concerned how the book would feel to read, if it would waken those memories of caregiving for our parents; the pangs of guilt, the angst, the joy the laughter... it is all there just a breath away.  I was pleased to discover that this book turned out to be a gentle guide for anyone facing caregiving, or for those of us who have already experienced it and fear facing it again. Karen kindly urges caregivers to allow themselves to be human. We will ...

World of Writing - Interview In today's World of Writing Interview, we have Francine Falk-Allen joining us. She is the author of  No Spring Chicken: Stories and Advice from a Wild Handicapper on Aging and Disability - and also - Not a Poster Child: Living Well with a Disability—A Memoir . Francine Falk-Allen was born in Los Angeles and has lived nearly all of her life in northern California. As a former art major who got a BA in managerial accounting and ran her own business for thirty-three years, she has always craved creative outlets. Over the years, this has taken the form of singing and recording with various groups, painting, and writing songs, poetry and essays, some of which have been published. Falk-Allen facilitates a support group, Polio Survivors of Marin County , and also a meet-up writing group, Just Write Marin Count  her Amazon Central Page  to find more about her.   Q: Welcome, Francine. I'm glad you were able to drop in to discuss your experie...

-- Author Interview -- Today we have the honour of interviewing author Karen Warner Schueler about her non-fiction book - The Sudden Caregiver: A Roadmap for Resilient Caregiving -   and her experiences in the world of writing.  Karen tells us that w hen her late husband was diagnosed suddenly with terminal cancer, she suddenly became a caregiver - and in her book she  explains each stage of caregiving, helps navigate through each unique situation, and she includes personal stories from many different types of caregivers. Karen used her knowledge gained from being an executive coach with a Master’s degree in Positive Psychology , writing a roadmap for caregiver resilience. Karen lives in Beaufort, South Carolina with her husband, John, and their dog, Fenway.  Visit her at: www.thesuddencaregiver.com www.tangiblegroup.com Q: Who inspired you to pursue a career in writing? A: My late husband, Joel Kurtzman, was the writer in the family and he was my inspiration. O...

Recommended Resources: Today's resources were submitted by Caroline James on behalf of ElderAction.org . As Caroline explains it:  " At Elder Action, we do our best to offer as many valuable resources as possible to seniors in hopes of helping them stay connected and maintaining a sense of control over their lives". 10 Pieces of Technology Seniors Should Embrace 15 Home Modifications to Make Aging-in-Place Safe DIY Safety Tips for Seniors Assisted Living Facilities: Tips for Choosing a Facility and Making the Transition Early Warning Signs of Dementia & Alzheimer's Older Adults’ Health and Age-Related Changes A Sobering Diagnosis: Coping with a Terminal Illness Diagnosis as a Recovering Addict Taking Care of YOU: Self-Care for Family Caregivers Preparing Your Home for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s: A Caregiver’s Guide http://www.facebook.com/lillian.brummet   http://www.linke...

*Today's article was written by: Ashikur Rahman  -- Caring for Elderly Parents -- Caring for elderly parents is never easy. It requires much patience and effort. The reward attained, however, is worth every bit of effort you can make. Rather than doing it alone, you should take help of your siblings as their support can be precious. Family dynamics could get difficult to manage at times but with the following strategies you will learn to shed off your load and be closer to your family as well by sharing responsibilities. Emotional management • Learn to respect each other's differences as your opinions may differ from those of your siblings. You should respect everyone's different way of wanting to contribute to the parent's benefits even if it does not match your opinions. • When people watch their parents grow old, they get depressed and uncomfortable thinking about death and old age. By joining groups for support or reading something, spiri...

-- Product Review --  I first began discussions with a MAMM Product representative about doing this review back on May 12 th . This product arrived around May 28th in a small, appropriately sized paperboard white box. The bottom of the box had a manufacturing date of Jan 16, 2015 and yet has an impressive shelf life of 2 years. It also had a recyclable plastic shrink wrap seal around rubber tipped dropper and top of bottle, which was not perforated so I had to cut it off with a razor knife – but, thankfully, there was no other packaging. Directions are to apply the serum 1-2 times per day to a cleaned face, neck, - to use before toner (if you use it) and to follow with a moisturizer. It is safe to use under make up (if you wear it; I don’t). The product is made in the US and distributed by MAMM Products - is based in Tucsan, AZ (US). The original list price on Amazon.com is $69.99 (US) but is currently on sale for $19.95; not listed on Amazon.ca. Interestin...

-- Quote of the Day -- “Structure, purpose and community are three things that don’t come automatically when you retire. …Maybe you think that you can volunteer… there are ways that you can find a purpose for yourself. The next thing is structure, so sit down at the beginning of the month or the week and go over the things you have planned, and things you want to do together. …Community is the hardest part – you’ve got to go out and find new friends; connecting with people. …Don’t be afraid of rejection – and start a conversation; you need to put yourself out there.” ~ Miriam Goodman   Today’s quote originates from the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio episode that aired back on … titled: Surviving Retirement  (*Click on the title to access the full discussion) -- Brummet's In the Media --  Check out this inspiring article of ours on saving money with small green steps, published by Katina Gerdzhikova - manager of the Lea fy ...

-- Quote of the Day -- "Life is a series of experiences, each of which makes us bigger,  even though it is hard to realize this.  For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure  help us in our marching onward." ~ Henry Ford, American industrialist -- Conscious Discussions Talk Radio --  Sign up via itunes for the Conscious Discussions Radio show: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id262138144      Unfortunately, our guest of the day (Kathryn Raaker) was a no - show.  This gave us the opportunity to share some very inspiring information about energy technology advancements, offer some fantastic quotes and more. Check out the Positive News segment via the link below.   http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions/2012/04/03/positive-news Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information abou...