Caregiver Community

  • Caregiver Community
    2313 member(s)

    A place where Caregivers come together to share common experiences, challenges,and resources. 

    Caregivers are truly experts in patient management and can help each other because of their intensive experience in patient care at home. Caregivers can ask questions to others on this forum going through a similar caregiving experiences. They can start topics and discuss things like ways to manage daily tasks, where to find doctors, nurses, and other health services, how they manage stress, and any other topics related to caring for their loved one and for themselves. It is a great place for Caregivers to come and chat about the issues that affect them on a day to day basis and take time to focus on their own needs and health.

    Login To Join
    Add Discussion
  • Image: Deepa Jacob with her daughter Asawari a musical talent who died of a rare form of leukemia
    A Mother Never Comes To Terms With Losing Her Child. Ever.
    A loss of a child is unimaginable. Different people try to cope with it in different ways. Deepa and Jacob K Joy set up the Asawari Music Foundation in memory of their daughter Asawari, who was a musical talent herself. Deepa Jacob talks about the Trust, grief and how she has coped with the loss of her child. Please tell us what led to Asawari Musical Foundation being set up? Asawari Music Foundation was set up to remember my daughter Asawari who passed away when she was 15. She was suffering…
  • Image of Ekta, in a black dress, short black hair journaling as part of her self care routine
    Self-Care: The Not-So-Selfish Action Plan
    Ekta Hattangady, a Clinical Social Worker with a specialization in Chronic Illness Management talks of the importance of making your own self a priority. Also seven steps to self care.    My cousin was in her late 20s when her mom, my aunt, was diagnosed with late stage cancer. It was a year of a lot of frantic activity and high stress. It was a year of loss. My cousin spent every minute caring for her mom. During one hospital stay for my aunt, my dad happened to be there. He took one…
  • Image: Backs of woman in a white dress with a man in a black suit and black hat in a cemetery mourning passing of a loved one
    Life After Caregiving: The Beginning In the End
    Loss of a loved one especially after an extended period of caregiving can result in complicated expressions of grief.  Dr. V. Sridhar, consultant psychiatrist, Dementia Care and Nirupama Natarajan, Psychologist from SCARF (DEMCARES), Chennai talk about a caregiver's grief and the healthy ways to grieve. At some point in our lives, we are expected to undergo the loss of a loved one, while at other times we extend support to our friends and relatives who have experienced a…
  • Person with haemophilia, Vinay Nair in a brown kurta with his wife in a red and gold sari holding baby girl in green and white dress in arms
    Children Would Refuse To Play With Him Because Of His Muscle Bleeds
    The growing up years of Vinay Nair, 32, who has haemophilia, was largely marked with moderate or severe bleeding episodes. His mother, Indira, compliments her son’s positive attitude and steadfast determination that have helped him face his health challenges exceptionally well.   When Vinay was 6 months old, he started developing strange blue patches on his hands and legs, quite similar to the blue-black patches that appear when you have been bruised or pinched. These patches though…
  • Image: Suparna, caregiver of mother with cancer in a scenic setting
    Journey As A Single Caregiver To My Mother with Cancer
    Suparna Mazumder has been a single caregiver for her mother who was diagnosed with metaplastic carcinoma of the ducts. She recounts her journey  – as an organizer of treatment, as a physical and mental care giver, as the only earning member of the family, as a single parent with a child The Diagnosis It all started in January 2004. 17th January, 11pm. While I was reading the newspaper, my domestic help told me that my mother had been feeling her breasts in the afternoon and had said…
  • Image: Older Man in warm clothing
    Tips To Keep The Elderly Happy During Winter
    Small tips to keep the Seniors happy and comfortable during winter can go a long way in keeping them well-cared for during the difficult months. A look at a few helpful pointers: Amid the winter months, things can be exceptionally troublesome for seniors, not only in light of the frosty but also the unforgiving occasional temperatures. Potential threats are all over the place, hence home care services might be just what your elderly friends and family require. Listed below is an expert curated…
  • Image: Stock pic that says Advanced Medical Directive and shows treatment options
    Patients Have The Right To Have Their Advanced Medical Directives Honoured: India SC Rules
    India's Supreme Court has upheld the right to die with dignity and ruled that people have a right to refuse medical treatment and having their advance directives honored. Are there any concerns?  PatientsEngage reached out via e-mail to Dr. M.R Rajagopal, Chairman, Pallium India and Director, Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences (WHO Collaborating Centre for Training and Policy on Access to Pain Relief) "The judgement of the Supreme Court…
  • Mariyam with her father in a nice outside setting
    It Brought Perspective To My Father’s Illness and Its Impact On My Life
    Talking and writing about health related experiences is still not common in Asia.  This International Women’s Day, we reach out to three dynamic women who share their experience as patient or caregiver to understand their motivations. In the last part of the series, we feature Mariyam Raza Haider.   1)    Why did you choose to blog? My strongest reason for blogging was to bring perspective to my father’s illness and its impact on my life. As I began writing about…
  • Sangeeta reliving memories with her father with Parkinson's
    It Was Cathartic and Fun To Relive Old Memories
    Talking and writing about health related experiences is still not common in Asia.  This International Women’s Day, we reach out to three dynamic women who share their experience as patient or caregiver to understand their motivations. We kick off the first in a three-part series with Sangeeta Murthi Sahgal.  1)    Your father had Parkinson's Disease. Why did you choose to talk and share about your father's condition? When I took over my father's care-giving, I researched the…
  • Do I need to call an ambulance?
    When Do I Need To Call An Ambulance?
    Do you know when you need to call an ambulance or when you can drive or take your loved one in a cab? Dr. Shital Raval talks us through the decision criteria of making the right choice.  During a medical crisis, getting immediate medical help is critical! In cases of emergencies, often it may seem that driving to the hospital may be faster than calling an ambulance. Although this may be true, let’s examine the reasons why and when, calling an ambulance is the best choice. When to call the…
What to do when you've reached your breaking point as a caregiver
I came upon this list of great advice from caregivers on what to do when you feel like you have reached your "breaking point" or a point of true exhaustion or frustration as a caregiver. What are some tips you would give others when they reach this…
Dutch students choose to live in nursing homes rent-free (as long as they keep the residents company)
Read the article here...http://www.thejournal.ie/help-the-aged-1814698-Dec2014/ Would something like this work in an Asian context ? I think its worth a few experiments for sure.      
Share your caregiving story!
I moved the Chennai 3.5 years ago to take care of my beloved grandma who developed breast cancer. Being a caregiver for her was a life changing experience for me. It showed me that even when we are caring for someone we love and even if we enjoy our…
What is your biggest caregiving challenge?
We all experience many joys and many challenges as caregivers. Sometimes talking about the tough aspects of caregiving is a good way to make sure we are not keeping our frustrations and diffficulties bottled up. The more we internalize the stresses…
What do you do to take a break from Caregiving?
One of the most important things that Caregivers need to do for themselves and their loved ones is to take breaks. It is so vital to take time to focus on oneself, recharge, and get some rest. If a Caregiver does not take breaks, it can lead to…
Home nursing options
How do you go about finding the right nurse for the patient or the elderly? What level of knowledge of English is important ? What are the top 3 things you look for ?    
Welcome to the Caregiver Community!
Hello fellow Family Caregivers! It is exciting to have an online forum where Caregivers from India and around the world can come together to share and learn from each other. This is a space where you can pose questions, share your story, and just…
Stores dedicated for senior citizens in India and Singapore
I came across http://www.oldisgoldstore.com/ recently. They have retail outlets in Chennai and ship to the southern states. Do you know of stores like these in other cities ?  We would like to add this information in our Resources centre  

Latest Communities