Meet Madelyn
From the keynote address at the Wisconsin State Conference on Alzheimer’s and Related Diseases, Caregiver Speaker, Elaine K. Sanchez, http://www.ElaineKSanchez.com, speaks about the importance of caring for the caregiver. In this segment, she introduces you to her mother, Madelyn Kubin. Madelyn was a 70 year-old Kansas farm woman who had very poor health, and very little money when her husband suffered a debilitating stroke. The next day he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and Madelyn became his caregiver. One of the ways she survived her six-year caregiving experience was to write letters to Elaine. Elaine edited her letters into the unflinchingly honest and uproariously funny book “Letters from Madelyn, Chronicles of a Caregiver”. Tender, honest, and uproariously funny, Madelyn’s letters tell a remarkable story of faith, courage, and humor.
Elaine’s caregiver keynotes and caregiver workshops are based on her mother’s letters. Her keynote, “And for this I take Vitamins!” is inspirational and entertaining. Audiences laugh through their tears, as they gain a renewed awareness of the importance of caring for the caregiver. The take away lessons are:
To care for someone else, you must first learn to care for yourself There is always an opportunity for mental and spiritual growth, even in the worst end-of-life situations As long as we have the ability to think and reason, we have the power to choose our attitude toward any person, thing, or event.
In her Caregiver Survival Training Workshop, attendees learn how to recognize and cope with caregiver anger, guilt, depression, and grief. As they develop their own survival plan they learn the importance of:
Dealing with negative emotions.
Setting aside time for yourself
Getting the right equipment
Learning something new
Staying connected socially
Savoring happy memories
Setting limits
Redefining fun
Developing your spiritual nature
Accepting help
Discussing death
Controlling your attitude .
While difficult at times, providing caregiving services can be intensely rewarding. The need for this caregiving may arise from accidents, injuries, and illnesses, including Alzheimer’s disease, strokes, other forms of dementia, and from the natural progression of aging. Anyone who has cared for elderly, disabled, or chronically ill individuals for any length of time can tell you that the experience can be extremely stressful and wearing on the caregiver.
Elaine’s passion is helping people manage this caregiving stress. In her caregiving keynotes and workshops, and through her workbooks, audio programs, and DVD’s, the emphasis is on caring for the caregiver as they go through the various stages of caring for those who can no longer care for themselves. Whether you are planning ahead for your own aging process, taking care of loved ones, or if you are a professional caregiver, these resources will help to show you that caregiving can be done with dignity, grace, and humor.
Elaine frequently delivers secular and faith-based keynotes and workshops at family caregiver conferences and gerontology conferences. She does work for the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Alzheimer’s Association, Area Agencies on Aging, community colleges, memory care facilities, long-term care facilities, Hospice organizations, financial planners, estate planning and elder law attorneys as well as churches and other faith-based organizations. To book Elaine as a speaker for your event, email her at Elaine@EKSanchez.com, or call 503-949-2464. For free caregiver articles, resources for caregivers, and to rent or purchase caregiver videos, visit her website at http://www.ElaineKSanchez.com
