For Caregivers

Two-way life: A caregiver’s story

I walked out of the doctor’s office, in a trance, almost forgetting that my fifteen year old, beside me, had walked through the very same door with me. The doctor had said, “Your son’s kidneys are failing!” During the fifteen-to-twenty minutes of intense conversation, the doctor had talked extensively about chronic kidney disease. Slowly he [...]

By |2020-03-02T18:04:32+00:00February 27th, 2020|2020, For Caregivers|0 Comments

Death and social media

In July of 2013, NPR Weekend Edition host Scott Simon began tweeting from the ICU of a Chicago hospital. For the next week, as he watched his mother’s condition worsen until her eventual passing, he shared everything from interactions with ICU nurses to his mother’s wisecracks and life lessons with his thousands of Twitter followers. [...]

By |2019-11-05T05:56:40+00:00January 18th, 2018|2018, For Caregivers|0 Comments

“I Don’t Want Dialysis” – Living with a Mother’s Wish

I still vividly remember her last night here. She wasn’t fully conscious. Just enough to keep pulling down the face mask providing her with oxygen and opening her eyes to stare at me, before she resumed dozing off. I have no idea if she knew I was there. Yet, I still sat at her side, [...]

By |2019-11-05T05:56:41+00:00November 16th, 2017|2017, For Caregivers|0 Comments

Can Family caregiving and self-compassion co-exist?

Society’s rules and expectations of behavior by family caregivers can seem quite onerous. A caregiver is anticipated to be a selfless individual who keeps the needs of the patient above everyone else’s, including his or her own needs. He/she looks after physical, medical, emotional, psychological, financial and legal needs. He is thought to be an [...]

By |2019-11-05T05:56:42+00:00March 17th, 2017|2017, For Caregivers|0 Comments

15 odd conversations that you should not start when visiting a kidney patient

Sympathy Vs. Empathy As a nephrologist, I have witnessed numerous patient-clinician encounters and heard even more from kidney patients during their clinic or dialysis visits. A recent conversation with one of my patients, who has a kidney disease, brought to light how she felt by the reactions and comments of her friends and relatives. […] [...]

By |2019-11-05T05:56:48+00:00December 15th, 2016|2016, For Caregivers|0 Comments

Caring for the Caregiver

The role of the caregiver can be quite onerous, supporting and advocating for a loved one without pause. These activities can become very tiring, without necessarily receiving the reciprocal support which would refuel an individual. As well, there may be feelings of guilt in being the healthy one, with no room for voiced complaints. This [...]

By |2019-02-08T16:20:02+00:00May 27th, 2016|2016, For Caregivers|0 Comments

The Caregiver as The Hidden Patient?

Informal caregivers refer to friends and family who provide support to individuals that are unable to function independently. There are at least 8.1 million Canadians providing care to family and friends with long term health conditions, disabilities or aging needs. These informal caregivers account for over $25 billion in unpaid labor to the health care [...]

By |2019-12-03T16:17:17+00:00May 6th, 2016|2016, For Caregivers|0 Comments