Skip to main content
  • Caregiver Community

    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.

  • , ,
    Organising your Personal Health Record
    Dr Choo Wei Chieh tells you why it’s important and what information it should carry. Patient empowerment means being engaged with your health and making your own health decisions. In order to do this properly (not to mention safely), one’s health information should be well organised. This means keeping an accurate record of your health such that you can access it whenever necessary, wherever you are, and to share it with whoever necessary (family, healthcare professionals, caregivers, etc.).…
  • Managing my mother: From frustration for all to peace in the house
    Mrs. Kalyani talks about her 85-year-old mother and what it took to keep everyone happy. My mother, Vijayalakshmi, is 85 years old and her behaviour can be like that of a young child. She has mobility problems. She needs to be monitored 24x7, mainly to protect her from falling and injuring herself. My mother needs to be taken to the bathroom every 1 ½ hours to 2 hours without fail. Otherwise she would wet the bed or go in the room. While eating she wants the TV on and she will be so engrossed…
  • 2 elderly women at a kitchen table
    Elder-friendly Homes Modifications
    Rehabilitation specialist Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan suggests small changes around the home that make a big difference to the quality of life of the elderly.    Having worked in the rehabilitation field for more than 15 years and having been a caregiver to four elders above the age of 80, I kept coming across the need for adaptations in daily living activities. The idea is to keep the elders as independent as possible and maintain their dignity. अब हिन्दी में पढ़ें: घर को बुजुर्गों…
  • Turning a home into a hospital
    The idea of hospice care in my home overwhelmed me. I was very afraid of witnessing her physical deterioration and her death. At age 99, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Because of her advanced age, there was little to do except make the last months of her life comfortable. Her doctor arranged for home hospice care. But part of me wanted to place her in a nursing home.  When would she no longer be able to bathe herself ? When would she be bedridden ? Incontinent. Read on about how…
  • Atul Gawande And Charles Munger On Why More Health Care Isn't Better
    Quality of life and Autonomy are important criteria in a patient's choice Dr. Gawande stresses that for most people, there comes a time when the quality of those years becomes more important than the absolute quantity. Research shows that older adults are less concerned with safety and more worried about losing their autonomy. The desire to consider quality of life over quantity can conflict with some of the practices of modern medicine. But it’s entirely consistent with the core values of the…
  • An Overnight Nursing Home for Dementia Patients
    Provides respite care for Alzheimer's patients who suffer from "sundowning". Many with Alzheimer's are at their most active after dark. A New York care facility has launched an after-hours camp-style program to entertain them until the morning—and help their caregivers get some sleep. For months, Ortiz would sleep during the day and be up much of the night wandering around the apartment. Her daughter was too afraid to sleep—afraid her mother might fall and hurt herself or even try to leave…
  • Challenging Conversations: End of Life
    By Bruce Broussard, President and CEO at Humana  Jan 27, 2015 Do we know how to handle death as we do life? Most of us don’t think about the former; we’re so wrapped up in our busy lives that it doesn’t really enter our thoughts that often. We’re focused on getting the kids to school; meeting the next deadline at work; getting the family together for dinner. Due to advances in health and medicine, people over 65 are able to live longer than in any previous generation. They’re wearing…
  • A treatment decision in Singapore
    While conscious but not knowing her life was at risk, the patient was against amputation. Lawyer Lyn Boxall presents a case of doctors acting in the best interest of the patient when only an amputation could save her life.  Mdm LP, a diabetic, consulted Dr Tan at the Gleneagles Medical Centre in October 2005 complaining about pain in both feet1.  She said she had been told by doctors at Singapore General Hospital and at Tan Tock Seng hospital that her right leg had…
  • Dutch students choose to live in nursing homes rent-free (as long as they keep the residents company)
    Innovative model for providing company and skills training to the Elderly: The university students pay no rent and in exchange spend at least 30 hours a month with some of the 160 elderly who live here, doing the things professional staff cannot always do — such as just hanging out. “They go see the pensioners for a chat, they play games, go with them to the shopping centre, (and) do shopping for those who can’t,” says activity coordinator Arjen Meihuizen. The students in Deventer prepare…
  • How to avoid Swine Flu or H1N1
    By Dr. Shital Raval How to avoid Swine Flu or H1N1 Wear a face mask when stepping out of the house. Avoid crowded places. Stay away from people who have a cough or cold. Practice good hand hygiene, wash hands often. Carry a hand sanitizer with you always. Avoid catching a cold by taking a multivitamin daily, avoiding stepping out early morning and late night Eat healthy.   Drink plenty of water and fluids. Use disposable tissues instead of towels or handkerchiefs. Ask your doctor about…
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…
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.      
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…
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…
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…
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 ?    
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…
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

  • Neurological Conditions
    Parkinson's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Stroke Rehabilitation, Migraine Content for Dementia and…
  • Diabetes
    Pre-diabetes, Type 1, Type 2, Gestational, Complications, Diet and Nutrition, Yoga for Diabetes, Personal stories, News…
  • Caregiver Community
    A place where Caregivers come together to share common experiences, challenges,and resources.  Caregivers are…