~Happy Holidays & Happy New Year From The Sandwich Woman~

It's full steam ahead this week to finalize all of our plans and get our ducks in a row for the holidays, if that's even possible!

2015 has been quite the year for acceptance and adjustments in my life. Midlife is certainly not for sissies! Anyone who is involved in being a Caregiver for another is our hero. We admire and respect you so much. Carve out a little time for yourself between now and the end of the year - guilt-free - and do something you've put off doing all year long, even if it's cleaning out your closet.  :-)

Jan and I are looking forward to 2016 with bright eyes and a renewed spirit to serve  you the best way we know how. We wish for you to have a warm, peaceful and joyous holiday season and a very Happy New Year!

"The Fruit of the Spirit" by Carole Brecht

See you in 2016, Cheers!
Carole Brecht

~The Sandwich Woman, Caring For The Sandwich Generation~

~Your Caregiver Support Network: Where Words Soothe and Ideas & Art Delight~

www.thesandwichwoman.com

Twitter: bit.ly/SanGenTW

Instagram: bit.ly/SanGenIG

Facebook: bit.ly/SanGenFB

Tangled Art Boutique: bit.ly/TABoutique

Copyright 2015

Cheers!

With all of the holiday hubbub during the month of December, I hope you're able to maintain your peace of mind. This time of year can be a lot of pressure for some and for others a reminder of family and friends who are no longer with us. For some it can be a time of stress and grief. There are people of all ages who may be living alone or may not have family or friends to celebrate with. Don't put any undue pressure on yourself when it comes to gift buying or giving. Embrace joy wherever you can find it. Shine your light wherever you go...

May peace be with you and may you have a beautiful holiday season. Cheers!

Best Wishes, 
Carole Brecht

~The Sandwich Woman, Caring For The Sandwich Generation~

~Your Caregiver Support Network: Where Words Soothe and Ideas & Art Delight~

www.thesandwichwoman.com

Tangled Art Boutique

Twitter: bit.ly/SanGenTW

Instagram: bit.ly/SanGenIG

Copyright 2015

**Tune In Live**

Welcome to this week's blog. I'm Carole Brecht on the left. I'm the writer for this blog. My sister and partner, Jan Steinle, is on the right. Both of us showcase our Zentangle Inspired Art here, and on all our social media. We recently launched our online store - (click) Tangled Art Boutique - housing over 100 images of our Zentangle designs, including a Caregiver greeting card and giftline. 

We hope you find these interviews worthy and enlightening, as we share who we are and what our mission is as founders of The Sandwich Woman Community. 

On Saturday, October 3, 2015, Jan and I were interviewed by Dr John Stanko on his 
(click) "Wake Up To Purpose Radio Show."

Our close association with Dr. John was formed in his (click) Purpose Quest classroom as we searched to discover, clarify, and embrace what we were meant to do in life.  Out of our experience as Mom's Caregiver for several years, and after attending Dr. John’s workshops throughout 2014, we found ourselves creating The Sandwich Woman Community.  We wanted to connect with and support those just like us who were going through the Caregiving journey. During that time we discovered the  Zentangle® art form and fell in love with it. 

We include our Zentangle Inspired Art on all of our social media. Both Jan and I feel it is apropos to The Sandwich Generation…intricate, layered, complex and beautiful.

Click here to listen - a lighthearted, fun and funny interview with one of our favorite associates, our friend, mentor, advisor and soon to be Publisher of my book and our combined book in the near future.  

Jan and I made this "sister tangle". She designed it and I colored it in. A fun project to work on together. 

(click) eCare Diary invited us on their radio show on Tuesday, October 6, 2015 to discuss our view on (click) "Sandwich Generation Caregiving." This interview begins with our Mom's diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease and the ensuing struggle to find support and resources as Caregivers over the years during her care. 

On Monday, September 14, 2015 we were hosted by eCare Diary for this video interview called (click)"Sandwich Generation Caregiving." This was our first interview and experience to state who we are and what our view is on being a Sandwich Generation Caregiver. 

Thank you for taking the time to learn about us and to listen to our viewpoint of what it's been like for us as Caregivers for our parents and how we see the Caregiver industry evolving. 

Best Wishes, 

Carole Brecht & Jan Steinle

~The Sandwich Woman, Caring For The Sandwich Generation~

~Your Caregiver Support Network: Where Words Soothe and Ideas & Art Delight~

www.thesandwichwoman.com

Tangled Art Boutique

Copyright 2015

~Honoring The Family Caregiver~

Introducing my special guest blogger today, Author of Somebody Stole My Iron: Vicki Tapia~

An Unsung Hero…The Family Caregiver

By Vicki Tapia

In 2004, my father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s-related dementia and a few months later, my mother with Alzheimer’s disease. That was the year I became a Caregiver. While my parents didn’t reside with me, I was still intimately involved in their daily care for the next 4 and 5 years. Traveling down that rabbit hole of dementia with my parents was difficult and sad. I watched helplessly as this disease steadily and ruthlessly chipped away at their brains, one memory at a time. That said, it was also a time of considerable personal growth for me. I learned to parent my parents with patience and compassion, caring for them much as they’d cared for me as a child so many years before. Interspersed with the challenges were times of fleeting lucidity, as well as moments of poignant tenderness, which I still remember and cherish, even today. These are moments I would have missed forever, had I not been a family Caregiver.

According to Alzheimer’s Association’s 2015 Facts and Figures, 85 % of unpaid Caregiving help provided to older adults in the U.S. is provided by family members; 2/3 of them women. And, over half of us caring for people with dementia are taking care of parents.

How many of us actually plan on being an unpaid Caregiver? Whether it’s a spouse, parents or a well-loved aunt, it’s unlikely most of us ever anticipate the reality of wearing the label “caregiver.” As the boomer population continues to age, the number of unsung heroes caring for a family member is on the upswing. According to the report *Caregiving in the U.S. 2015, there are currently an estimated 34.2 million American adults taking care of a loved one 50 years or older.

Caregiving can be overwhelming, both emotionally and physically, bringing with it a myriad of emotions, all of which I experienced at one time or another, including:

• ·      Frustration
• ·      Helplessness  
• ·      Anger
• ·      Sadness
• ·      Depression
• ·      Guilt

Caregiving can be lonely! At times, I remember feeling like I was on a deserted island, with nary a person who really understood what it was like.

While speaking at a Caregiver’s meeting recently, two women approached me afterwards to share their stories. One woman told me her spouse with Alzheimer’s is slowly becoming more than she can handle, but her children are insisting that she keep him at home. The other woman suspects that her elderly father, who lives next door to her, is showing signs of dementia, but he flatly refuses to go to the doctor. They were both searching for answers. Like growing old, Caregiving is not for sissies.

I sensed in these 2 women what experts label Caregiver burnout, a very real phenomenon and a number one reason why it’s imperative for all caregivers to recognize the importance of self-care.

If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms, I encourage you, please make time for a doctor’s visit.

• ·      Anxiety
• ·      Irritability
• ·      Social withdrawal
• ·      Sleeplessness
• ·      Exhaustion
• ·      Poor concentration
• ·      More susceptible to illness

*Caregiving in the U.S. 2015 – A Focused Look at Caregivers of Adults Age 50+ was published by The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) and the AARP Public Policy Institute

* * * *

I'm a long-time lactation consultant and published author of numerous lactation articles and found my energies redirected to the other end of life when both my parents were diagnosed with dementia in 2004. My diary documenting my parents journey resulted in the publication of Somebody Stole My Iron: A Family Memoir of Dementia, a 2015 finalist for the High Plains Book Awards. 

In my memoir, I detail the daily challenges, turbulent emotions, and painful decisions involved in caring for my parents. Laced with humor and pathos, reviewers describe my book as “brave,” “honest,” “raw,” “unvarnished,” as well as a “must-read for every Alzheimer's/dementia patient's family.” I wrote this story to offer hope to others, to reassure them that they’re not alone.

  

To follow Vicki on social media:

amazon.com/author/vickitapia

somebodystolemyiron.com/blog/

facebook.com/somebodystolemyiron

twitter.com/vicleetap

Thank you Vicki for sharing you insight and perspective and for being today's guest blogger.

Best Wishes,
Carole Brecht

~The Sandwich Woman, Caring For The Sandwich Generation~

~Your Caregiver Support Network: Where Words Soothe and Ideas & Art Delight~

www.thesandwichwoman.com

Tangled Art Boutique

~ A Caregiver's Helper ~

~Introducing my special guest blogger today: Marianne Sciucco~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ 12 Ways to Reach Out to Caregivers During National

Caregivers Appreciation Month ~

by Marianne Sciucco, author of Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer’s love story

Chances are you know someone caring for an ill or disabled loved one. This could be due to an illness such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Cancer, Stroke or a variety of other conditions. Some provide live-in care, others visit daily or weekly, and some oversee care from a distance or care provided by hired aides or a nursing facility.

No matter how the Caregiver performs his or her role, caregiving is a tough job, requiring resources that are often scarce: time, money, support, and assistance.

The CDC tells us that more than 34 million unpaid caregivers provide care to someone age 18 and older who is ill or has a disability, and an estimated 21 percent of US households are impacted by Caregiver responsibilities.

Almost all of this work is unpaid, typically provided by family members, and often performed around the clock with no breaks. In addition, many Caregivers juggle other responsibilities such as jobs, raising children, and managing their own households.

November is National Caregivers Appreciation Month, and a great time to reach out to those providing care and help lighten their load.

In recognition of those who work tirelessly and selflessly to care for a loved one, here are 12 ways to reach out to caregivers, to offer assistance and let them know you care. These people need support, and often that support doesn't cost much, if anything, and takes little time.

1.     Ask if you can sit for them a little while so they can run errands, take a break, see the doctor, or attend church or a caregiver's support group, whatever they need to do to take care of themselves.

2.     Going to the grocery store? Call and ask if there's anything you can pick up for them.

3.     If your employer allows, donate paid sick time, vacation days, or personal time to a coworker caring for a relative who is hospitalized or needs post-hospital care.

4.     Volunteer to mow the lawn, weed the garden, rake the leaves, or shovel the snow.

5.     Share the bounty, whether from your vegetable or your flower garden. Fresh produce and fresh flowers are cheerful.

6.     If you have the skills and tools, offer to change the oil in their car and rotate the tires.

7.     Again, if you have the skills and tools, offer a free haircut to the caregiver and/or their loved one.

8.     Walk their dog.

9.     Ask if they'd like you to wash and clean out their car.

10.  Volunteer to take out the trash and bring the barrels out to the curb on trash day.

11.  Double cook a meal, preferably one of their favorites, and send over a dinner.

12.  Include them in your prayers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more information about caregiving and Caregivers please follow #AlzAuthors during 

National Caregivers Appreciation Month, November 2015, or find us on Facebook.

About the Author

I'm not a nurse who writes but a writer who happens to be a nurse. A lover of words and books, I dreamed of becoming an author when I grew up but became a nurse to avoid poverty. I later brought my two passions together and write about the intricate lives of people struggling with health and family issues. I grew up near Boston and earned my Bachelor's degree in English at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. I spend a lot of time on Cape Cod. When not writing I work as a campus nurse at a community college in New York’s Hudson Valley, where I live with my patient and reliable husband and beautiful, brainy daughter. We are ruled by Mr. Chance, a cat we rescued who believes he rescued us. I'm currently working on a YA novel, "Swim Season," about the new girl on the team who challenges a longstanding school record, to be released in 2016. A dedicated Swim Mom for ten years, you can find me during swim season at one of many Skyline Conference swim meets cheering for my daughter and her team.

To follow Marianne on social media:

http://mariannesciucco.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/marianne.sciucco.1

https://twitter.com/MarianneSciucco

amazon.com/author/mariannesciucco

Thank you Marianne for sharing you insight and perspective and for being today's guest blogger.

Best Wishes,
Carole Brecht

~The Sandwich Woman, Caring For The Sandwich Generation~

~Your Caregiver Support Network: Where Words Soothe and Ideas & Art Delight~

www.thesandwichwoman.com

Tangled Art Boutique

The Forgotten Caregiver~

Introducing my special guest blogger today: Author of Alzheimer's Daugther - Jean Lee

On my next birthday I’ll be 61 years old. Both of my parents died of Alzheimer’s. I wrote about my journey as their caregiver in Alzheimer’s Daughter. Does the thought that I might become afflicted with the disease haunt me? Yes. It niggles in the back of my mind.

I’m lucky to live in a small town and still doctor with a Marcus Welby, M.D.-type family physician. This man has treated four generations of my family; my parents, myself, my children, my grandchildren. Needless to say he knows us well.

After Mom and Dad died, I asked my trusted doctor about my risk. He answered since my parents had not been diagnosed until they were in their mid-eighties it was not really a part of my family history. He reasoned if everyone had parents who lived into their eighties, nearly everyone would have a history. This reassured me, but still the thought persists, especially when I can’t think of a word I want to use, or lose my train of thought in a conversation.

November 1-7, 2015 is National Memory Screening Week, bringing awareness to the positive aspects of screening and attempting to remove stigma. When I visit my doctor for my yearly physical, my blood pressure is noted, I’m prompted to have a mammogram, vials of blood are drawn, I’m questioned about diet, exercise and assessed for depression. All of these are types of screening. Why not routinely offer a Mini Mental to patients at age 60-65 to collect some baseline data? Comparisons could then be made as we age?

I know, health care costs are already prohibitive and many people are afraid to know. As for me, I’d appreciate the baseline data. In the meantime I keep exercising, taking my fish oil and eating handfuls of spinach and kale.

If Alzheimer’s has touched your life, and you seek connection with others who have shared this journey, below are five books written from five perspectives about the disease.

All of us felt compelled to write our books, hoping to make a difference…hoping that we might make the pathway of others traveling this road a little less painful and lonely. Perhaps you will find comfort and support within our pages.

Somebody Stole My Iron, by Vicki Tapia

Vicki details the daily challenges, turbulent emotions, and painful decisions involved in caring for her parents. Laced with humor and pathos, reviewers describe her book as “brave,” “honest,” “raw,” “unvarnished,” as well as a “must-read for every Alzheimer's/dementia patient's family.” Vicki wrote this story to offer hope to others, to reassure them that they’re not alone.    

Blue Hydrangeas by Marianne Sciucco

Marianne describes herself as a writer who happens to be a nurse. This work of fiction is based upon her care for the elderly. It's a tenderly told love story about Jack and Sara, owners of a New England bed and breakfast. Sara is stricken with Alzheimer's and Jack becomes her caregiver.

What Flowers Remember by Shannon Wiersbitzky

Shannon writes this work of fiction through the eyes of a small-town preteen girl, Delia, whose elderly neighbor, Old Red Clancy is failing mentally. The aged gentleman has to be placed in a care facility, but Delia will not let him wither away. She devises a way for the whole community to remind Old Red how important he has been in all of their lives. 

On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer’s by Greg O’Brien

Diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, Greg O’Brien’s story isn’t about losing someone else to Alzheimer’s, it is about losing himself a sliver at a time while still fighting to live with Alzheimer's, not die with it. 

Alzheimer's Daughter by Jean Lee

My memoir details my journey caring for both parents who were diagnosed on the same day. It is written with wincing honesty about the cruel affects of the disease, but a WWII love story held together by faith and family is contained within the pages.

To follow Jean on social media: 

amazon.com/author/jeanlee

jeanllee.blogspot.com

facebook.com/alzheimersdaughter

twitter.com/JeanLee18

Thank you Jean for sharing you insight and perspective and for including all of the other authors and their books in this blog.

Best Wishes,
Carole Brecht

~The Sandwich Woman, Caring For The Sandwich Generation~

~Your Caregiver Support Network: Where Words Soothe and Ideas & Art Delight~

www.thesandwichwoman.com

Tangled Art Boutique