Attention Caregivers!

I am interested in starting a blog section for personal caregivers encompassing any and all concerns. Are you interested in honing skills? Do you have information regarding available skills training in your area? Do you have personal concerns about your own health care and benefits? Are you a union member? Do you take care of a family member or is this your profession? I have been a caregiver most of my adult life, first with my daughter, then later as a professional. Some clients have developmental disabilities from birth, or from catastrophic causes, some are simply too old to be without some daily help, some have mental and/or emotional problems. All of these have presented interesting challenges, and all have offered opportunities to expand my skills. Patience, diplomacy, understanding family dynamics, and how to deal with state and federal bureaucracies trying to enhance their lives. Sometimes I have felt alone in the wilderness because there is very little in the way of a support system for those of us who care about the quality of our clients' lives and our own as well. I would like this to be a place where we can exchange ideas and support, as well as any other topics you would be interested in. I enjoy hearing these stories, I would only ask that you respect the clients privacy by using first names only, but feel free to vent any way that helps you express your concerns. From time to time, I will post helpful information that I come across and I hope you will do the same. This blog will cover lots of other topics as well, since I'll be using it to organize my own thoughts and concerns that interest me. Excuse the lack of paragraphing, but I'm just learning all this and even though it looks rough, I do realize that it should be laid out better. Thanks, CJCalgirl