How to do the impossible
So many people in the groups are facing caregiving situations where it’s impossible for them to do what’s required to meet the needs of the people in their lives. Accepting that we can’t do it all isn’t an option when the lives of people we...
Losing your sense of self
Losing Your Sense of Self How do you stay in touch with your true identity when your life revolves around supporting someone else? Let’s talk It’s something most of us experience, but we so rarely talk about it. Maybe we don’t want to draw attention...
Compassion Fatigue
Compassion Fatigue People don’t talk much about the emotional strain of providing constant empathy and support. Let’s talk It’s something most of us experience, but we so rarely talk about it. Maybe we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves....
Ordinary Caregiving Days Add Up to Life
This is my 19th year of caregiving and I can hardly believe it. After a series of mini strokes my mother developed memory disease. I was her family caregiver for nine years. In 2007 my twin grandchildren’s parents died from the injuries they received in separate car...
Real-world practical and inspiring
What does caring for a loved one at home really involved? What does it mean for your family and future? Tens of millions of Americans have had these questions and more as they prepare for this unsettling yet necessary task. “The Family Caregiver s Guide”...
The missing connection between cancer survivorship and nutrition
The American Cancer Society estimates that there are 13.7 million cancer survivors in the US today. Now, CANCER, their peer-reviewed journal, shows that this vulnerable population isn’t getting the nutrition it needs. The research team was led by Fang Fang...
5 Caregiver’s favorite inspirational quotes for caregivers
As caregivers (and human beings) a little pat on the back can sometimes come in the form of other people’s words. That’s why we include a Care Card in each issue of our weekly newsletter. Quotes are also some of our caregiving community’s favorite...
About
How The Caregiver Space got started and the essential information you need to know about us.
Caregiving guides
The Caregiver Space is here to support caregivers, but we’re not the only ones here to help! Here some of the books our community has enjoyed. Please note that this isn’t an official endorsement and we’re not necessarily affiliated with these...
Books for caregivers
The Caregiver Space is here to support caregivers, but we’re not the only ones here to help! Here some of the books our community has enjoyed. Please note that this isn’t an official endorsement and we’re not necessarily affiliated with these...People and Partners
Adrienne Gruberg, Founder Adrienne Gruberg is a former family caregiver and founder of The Caregiver Space. After six years of caring for her late husband and mother-in-law she conceived of an online support space all caregivers could come to. Adrienne holds a BFA...
What Illness Taught Me About Caregiving
“Take care of yourself.” I’ve heard this advice more times than I can count and try to follow it. After being diagnosed with stage one endometrial (uterine) cancer and having a hysterectomy, I follow this advice religiously. For about three months I had been feeling...
Caring for a Loved One When You Need Care Yourself
After my husband’s aorta dissected in 2013 I built a wheelchair-accessible townhome for us. Living there hinged upon my health. If my health started to fail we would have to move, a worrisome thought. My husband and I hoped to stay in our townhome for years. Then I...
Reviving My Caregiving Happiness Jar
For more than a year, I kept a caregiving happiness jar. At the end of my caregiving day, I wrote a note about something good that happened, and put it in a jar. Every so often, I withdrew random notes from the jar, and read them. The notes were revealing. First, the...
Caregiving is a Gift
I am my disabled husband’s caregiver. While he was hospitalized for eight months, I moved us out of the home we had lived in for 20+ years, and built a wheelchair-accessible townhome. Although the home is well-designed, and has wide hallways, there isn’t room for a...
The perfect gift for every caregiver
How do you say thank you to the person who goes above and beyond? Honestly, there’s no way to express thanks for what they do through a gift. The best way to thank a caregiver is with your time and appreciation. Deliver a meal (or a bunch of frozen meals!) Pick...
“Did You Have a Good Summer?”
Maybe it’s a Midwestern custom, but friends keep asking me if I had a good summer. Every time I’m asked this question I want to groan. I’m my disabled husband’s primary caregiver and, for us, summer is like any other season of the year. There are no changes from our...
Interrupted sleep can be harmful to caregivers health
In 2013 my husband’s aorta dissected. He had three emergency operations and, during the third one, suffered a spinal cord injury that paralyzed his legs. The night I drove him to the hospital I became his primary caregiver and advocate. After being hospitalized for...
I Lost the Lamb Chops
Both my husband and I have British heritage, and we love lamb chops. Although the price of lamb has increased markedly, we were willing to pay it. So I went to the butcher shop and bought four thick chops. When I returned home, I put them in the freezer for another...
What makes caregiving meaningful?
We know that an easy life doesn’t necessarily make for a good life. People who feel that their life has meaning tend to be more fulfilled overall, even if their life is incredibly challenging. Different people are driven by different things. Here’s a quick...
Track Your Caregiving Feelings In a Journal
Caregiving can be so demanding that we lose track of our feelings. When my husband was dismissed to my care after eight months of hospitalization, I felt a dizzying array of feelings. Of course I was elated to have him home, but I was scared too, and wondered if I had...
Caregiver frustration
No matter how rewarding caregiving can be or how much we love the person we’re caring for, caregiving is frustrating. Frustration just comes with the package. We’re human and caregiving inevitably involves situations and tasks that are inherently...
Caregiver Identity: How Can You Survive and Keep It?
This has been a stressful month. My disabled husband developed a horrendous rash, which he described as being attacked by ants. I had three infections and injured my back while lifting him. A manuscript I’d been working on disappeared from my computer, and back-up...
Ten-Year Anniversary is a Life Marker
“The 10th anniversary of Helen’s death is coming up,” I told my husband. “I think we should do something significant—write a large check to the food bank or the public library.” John nodded his head in agreement. Helen died from the injuries she received in a car...
A Partnership: Working with Paid Caregivers
You’re a family caregiver and need outside help. These days, most large and mid-size towns have caregiving agencies. Before you sign with an agency do your research. Keep in mind that it can you weeks to adapt to a paid caregiver. That’s because you are creating a...
Enjoy A Nothing Day—Self-Care for Caregivers
Every morning a paid caregiver comes to our home to help get my disabled husband up for the day. Although caregivers can change, one caregiver comes most often, and we love her. “What are you doing today?” she asked as she walked in the door. “Nothing,” I answered. A...
Art Can Help Loved Ones Heal and Find Hope
Have you ever sat in a waiting room, stared at a picture, and realized it drove you nuts? Our loved ones may feel the same way if they don’t like the artwork in their home or room. Some artwork is actually upsetting. We can make loved ones feel at home by paying...
Thoughtful gifts for family caregivers
It’s rare when there’s a gift that’s perfect for 99.9% of any group of people, especially one as diverse as caregivers. But there’s one gift nearly ever caregiver is hoping you’ll give them: Your time. We’re hoping you’ll call...
Self-Care Steps May Change with the Times
Take care of yourself. We’ve all heard this advice. A short walk may be one way you care of yourself. You may bake a batch of cookies. Going to bed a half hour earlier may also be self-care. Or if you’re like me, you may sit down and read for pleasure. But knowing you...Top Posts
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