First Teleconference Only Meeting

Dear Heroes,
This writing is during the first meeting in November which needed to be scheduled as a teleconference meeting only.  This is the second meeting where the teleconferencing system has been utilized, the first where it is the primary source for a meeting. These last 3 meeitngs have been short on attendance, but high in enthusiasm.  I've determined that I will not give up on my endeavor to reach out to folks who need help in the self-support area as caregivers. 
My goal is to have the meetings at North Penn Baptist Church on a monthly basis and perhaps a second meeting in another environment.
Beginning on Wednesdays February 22 thru March 14 I will facilitate Caregiver Self-Support classes with the Mount Airy Learning Tree...the location has not yet been determined, keep a look out for that.
I remember all too well how lonely it felt when I reached home after a spending time with my husband in the hospital and/or nursing home.  How helpless I felt to really make him well.....what I didn't understand was that by my being there I was helping keep his morale high and kept the attending staff focused on giving him the best care.  They knew I was coming and I was aware of what he needed and made sure he got it.  I did it with grace and professionalism, making some friends along the way.  You get more help with kindness than being a pain in the ass.
There are some valuable lessons I need to share with you as caregivers:
1. Keep notes, preferrably a journal, of what has led up to their current condition along with doctors names and 
    contact information.
2. Make sure you know what medications your loved one has been prescribed and keep that information with you.
3. When your loved one is transferred between facilities, get a copy of the prescription documents from the nurse prior
    to moving them so that you can doubled-check with the new facility. (there's a long story behind this)
4. Make it as pleasant  an experience as possible.  I bought in a small lamp for his room, giving it a more homey feel.  The nursing staff loved it.  It made them feel good to come into his room, took away some of the institutionalized feeling, you know??  Also with the lamp on, they were less likely to turn on those harsh flourescent lights for a small job.  It's a lot less shocking to the system to awaken to a warm lamp light than the overhead flood lights.

Well, I've just logged off the teleconferencing line, no one called in........this time.  God is Good.  This will work, I will not claim anyt;hing less than success.

Respectfully submitted,
Jean Kirkley