Caregiver Community

  • Caregiver Community
    2310 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.

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  • 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…
  • Shital Bhatkar with Aarya Bhatkar, with LSD Neimann Pick Storage Disorder
    You are Left out in the Cold with Rare Diseases
    When a child is diagnosed with a rare disease, it is most agonising and traumatic for parents, especially because they are left alone and helpless. Shital Bhatkar, whose son Aarya succumbed to Niemann-Pick Disease, narrates her long, harrowing time trying to save her son and the need to include rare diseases in public health policies. When my son, Aarya, was born, my husband and I considered ourselves blessed. We had two beautiful kids now – a daughter and a son and felt our family was complete…
  • Omkar who has Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) climbing a tree
    He Thinks Blood Tests, Medications and Restrictions Are A Way Of Life
    Deepa Kannan, who has an 8-year-old son suffering from a rare condition called Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), bares her heart and mind about all her family has been through in trying to cope with the disorder and also about how she is spearheading an awareness movement for affected parents in India. Please tell us a bit about your son Omkar’s condition? Omkar has a condition called salt wasting Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. It is an Autosomal Recessive disorder, where both parents are…
  • Cooking s a good brain exercise to prevent dementia
    Teach the Brain New Activities to Delay the Onset of Dementia
    Brain exercises are among the most effective non-medical approaches to delay the onset of dementia and can be enjoyable for the patient and more likely to be complied, emphasises Sabah Thaver, senior physical therapist (neurorehabilitation) at Nanavati Hospital. Mark Twain once famously said, “Out of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most.” This line at first sounds humorous, but it turns out to be the bitter truth of the lives of those living with conditions like Dementia. People…
  • Packing a bag for the hospital
    25 Things To Pack In Your Hospital Bag
    For people suffering from chronic illness, hospital stays are frequent. A hospital stay can be made more comfortable and relaxed with items you can bring from home. Even in cases of an emergency, such a hospital list can be given to a loved one to be fetched from your home. Here is a compilation of what many patients prefer to have with them during their time in a hospital. Remember, you should carry what suits your needs the best. To read this in hindi, click here:  25 चीज़ें जो…
  • A child with cancer with his parents
    Seeing Our Child Suffer Is Never Easy
    Javed Khan and his wife describe their 14 year old son, Tavish’s journey with cancer - from diagnosis to treatment and the support they received from Accesslife. 5 months ago, Tavish started complaining of knee pain in his left leg. He was an avid hockey player and noticed frequent falls during a game and while riding his bicycle. Initially the pain was dismissed but soon it grew more intense and would be worse at night time. Tavish would often be unable to sleep all night due to the pain and…
  • A man sitting in hospital gown on a hospital bed
    Questions to Ask during a Hospital Stay
    If you or your loved one is admitted to the hospital for any reason, make sure to keep these questions in mind. These questions are meant to clarify the medical status of the patient, gain information and understand the care needed after a procedure. This will ensure peace of mind for all.  This checklist of questions is aimed to streamline the hospitalization process and make it a comfortable experience for patients and their caregivers. Consider having a family member or friend with you…
  • Picture of Mariyam Raza Haider whose father has oral cancer
    Ways to De-stress during Chemotherapy Sessions
    Mariyam Raza Haider, 26, gives a first person account of how she makes her father’s chemotherapy cycles for aggressive oral cancer as easy and comfortable as possible. This is the first of a two-part series. Chemotherapy, despite being one of the most rigorous medical treatments, demands a pretty simple administration regime. More often than not, cancer patients spend a few hours at the hospital’s daycare, get the chemo drugs through intravenous catheters, and are then discharged. Most side…
  • Stock pic of a person in meditation in silhouette depicting mantra
    The Secret Mantra of Living Well with Chronic Conditions
    In the journey of chronic conditions, there are often many lows and it is important to find the mantra that helps us through those difficult times. Here we share the lived experience of our contributors that motivate us.  Gargi Ahluwalia - On her journey with Parkinson's I felt a complete change in myself. I am now alert and happy. I told myself 'Gargi, Get up! You have to do your work yourself'. I do all my banking work myself and am also able to drive. I believe that perseverance,…
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  

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