VON Caregiver Education & Information Series ~ Last Session

Yesterday was another very rewarding day, as I had attended the last VON Caregiver Education & Information Series out of four.  Where do I possibly begin....um, the Certificate maybe?

"You Make a Difference to the Lives of Others".  How strong is that statement, and how much I needed to have that reinforced in my life.  Another such statement is, "The need to be needed is perhaps the greatest human need of all".  What a bond these two statements have with each other.

There was a quest speaker in attendance from Bruce Peninsula Hospice, who provided not only information about how Hospice provides service to palliative care persons, but words of encouragement for the caregiver.  I found the time this lady took to speak to each of us, in attendance, individually, was to be most personal and caring.

After our Hospice speaker had spent her time with us and took her leave, the remainder of the session focused on HOPE.  Being Hopeful and taking a look at the concept of Hope.

Hope is:  "A process of anticipation that involves the interaction of thinking, acting, feeling and relating, and is directed toward a future fulfillment that is personally meaningful." (Charlotte Stephenson).

Just a couple of pointers that were relayed to us on the Concept of Hope:

~  Hope is crucial to recovery for our despair disables us more than disease every could;

~  Hope speaks to the future;

~  One cannot give hope to another if he/she does not possess it in himself;

~  Hope influences the healing response and is necessary to prevent physical and mental   

    deterioration that comes with despair brought on by illness

~  Hope springs from different sources for each person

As I stated, just a few pointers from a list of many.  We can not live without HOPE.

I would highly recommend the VON Caregiver Education & Information Series to anyone that is giving care to a person, whether they be elderly, have a chronic illness/situation, or anything that is requiring time on a daily basis whereas the person being cared for has to rely greatly on the person giving the care.

I cannot stress enough how much, as a Caregiver myself, we need to look after ourselves and seek the support of others to give us more tools and reinforcements to look after one's self that we may go on in a healthy role as a Caregiver.  The first start I would recommend as direction, now that I know myself, is to contact your local VON office and seek direction through their most "wonderful" service they provide for us at the following website link:

http://www.von.ca/en/home/default.aspx

If not for one's self, there might be a friend or acquaintance that might need this service, so pass it on, and remember, "Knowledge is the Best Medication" !!!!

Special thanks to two special VON ladies.....thank you from my heart, Diane and Jessica !!!

Now to lighten up the last day of June 2011, I thought I would put something out there this morning....can you tell the difference between the two following pictures?

Picture No. 1:

Picture No 2:  "Can anyone find Pete in this picture?"



Ha,ha,ha,ha.....our baby chicks arrived yesterday !!!!  Aren't they the sweetest?  No naming names now, as you might be invited for supper this Winter and be served your namesake !  LOL.

Since I just received more puppy picture updates, once again, yesterday, I will be trying to figure out a program to unzip the pictures, then there will be a couple of the "Magnificent Seven's" pictures tomorrow to be checking out.  Like I said yesterday, lol, stay tuned......eventually I will have figured it out somehow.

....and the Wiarton Airport Weatherman has to say:

Today:

Sunny. High 22. UV index 9 or very high.

Tonight:

Clear. Low 10.

Bring on the sun....my garden needs it and the upcoming Canada Celebrations need it!!!!

*Sigh*  Since Friday is a Holiday, I have my scheduled weekly allergy shot this morning.  I had better get that second cup of Java into me and get on with my day, "Just North of Wiarton & South of the Checkerboard".