Caregivng + Advocacy - It Could Be A Matter of Life or Death

Hello KIRC fam~

One of the things about family caregiving, is that even when the role comes to an end, there are many moments that come flashing back to you, even years later.

It has now been five years since I said goodbye to my mother and sometimes it feels as if it was just yesterday. I wonder, ‘Am I stuck and can’t move forward?’

Other times I think many of the emotions that bubble up, have more to do with an ongoing desire to share ‘learning moments’ with all of you.

Because the truth is, while we are all family caregivers and share many similarities, each of us has something different and unique to add to the conversation.

That’s why I started KIRC. Because I believe we ALL can help each other. And that may be more important now, than ever before. I can’t thank you enough for the ongoing belief in this platform AND - a HUGE THANK YOU to those who believe enough to step up and support with a paid subscription.

I invite you to share this publication with anyone who might benefit. If you have EVER gained something that has helped you in any small way from this publication, then please consider supporting KIRC with a paid subscription.

Really - it gives me motivation to keep going. You have put your faith (and dollars) in me, and like any professional position, that means I have made an agreement with you to produce work. So again - THANK YOU!!!

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With that, I want to share with all of you an impactful, educational, and eye-opening interview KIRC conducted with a family caregiver. We chatted about why being an advocate for your loved one is so important. This was in the early days of KIRC. Because you may have missed it I am sharing again.

How One Woman Helped Save Her Mother’s Life

*This podcast was originally published Jan 4th, 2022

In this Keeping it REAL Caregiving Podcast episode, we chat with a family caregiver about the importance of being an advocate if your loved one is admitted to the hospital.

In this case, her mother’s health condition declined substantially after a medical procedure. But because of this daughter’s determination and persistence that something was seriously wrong with her mother, the medical team took action.

In this episode, hear the full story of what happened to this family and some practical steps all of us should consider when and if our loved ones are admitted to the hospital.

Paying close attention, asking questions, demanding answers and being in place as an advocate, might (in some cases) be the only thing standing between your loved one and a deadly situation.

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I hope this information helps you and your loved ones. If you have experienced anything similar and have anything more to add that might help someone else, I would love to hear from you. Feel feel to leave a comment or message KIRC.

Until next time~
Julia

“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” – Mahatma Gandhi