Lotsa Blog

If Only: Caring for the Caregiver

At Lotsa Helping Hands we are truly privileged to witness the best the human soul has to offer. Reading the unsolicited testimonials sent in by many of our 1.2 million community members is both an honor as well as a constant reminder of the humbling responsibility we all have to assist those in need.  While so many express their gratitude for the free service we provide, there is an underlying theme in each unique story of how family, friends, and neighbors came together to aid in caring for the caregiver.  But what about those other tens of millions of caregivers who feel isolated, often desperate as they struggle daily with the emotional, physical, and financial hardships confronting them? Too often a community member who has helped someone will conclude their testimonial with a comment to the effect “I only wish I’d known about this service years ago when I was caring for my ______.”

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The Votes are Counted – Now Caregivers Need to Speak up

By: Sherri Snelling

After a long, hard battle President Obama has gained a second term as Commander in Chief.  We heard from the TV news pundits this election was a turning point in understanding the needs of a changing America.  I hope valuing family caregivers becomes part of that change.  We need to encourage the White House, Congress and all sectors of society to support those caregiving Americans who represent 80 percent of the long-term care workforce in our country – but how?

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What Does Medicare Pay For?: The Difficulties We Faced

Like many kids, I grew up thinking my parents were the smartest people on the planet.  They seemed to know everything.  In a world often confusing to a child, they had all the answers and could calm my worries with measured assurance.  Now that I am an adult, there have been few problems in my life that I haven’t shared with my mother and father  My entire life I have watched as one elderly family member after another relied on my parents for their caregiving support line. And they maintained remarkably good health, even after both became octogenarians in recent years. But with age comes a very valid question with regard to health: what does Medicare pay for?

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