Is your health and well-being in jeopardy? Caring for the caregiver is more than just a catchy phrase – it is one woman’s mission!
If you are a caregiver, when was the last time you made a specific effort to put yourself first?
As we all know, it can be difficult to find the time and energy to think about our own needs and well-being, but we must.
Consider this information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
What is the impact of providing care for an older adult?
Informal or unpaid caregiving has been associated with:
Elevated levels of depression and anxiety
Higher use of psychoactive medications
Worse self-reported physical health
Compromised immune function
Increased risk of early death
Folks, I can’t stress enough how crucial it is that even when we are in the throws of caring for a loved one, we have to also consider our own health, both physical and mental.
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One Florida woman has made it her mission to do just that, and help others do the same.
Julie Cook Downing spent years helping her father care for his aging and declining wife.
Then, after losing her mother, she was also tasked with assisting her father.
That experience motivated her to take steps to provide support and guidance to other caregivers.
My DAD (Culbreth “Cookie” Cook) and me featured in an article when he lived with Ted and me in Sarasota,FL. Caregiving from 2001-2006. This was photographed and articled by a Sarasota magazine January 2005 and he passed 2-6-2006.
Cook-Downing created and led a series of support groups for caregivers, stressing that our care-focus must also be on the caregivers.
Her father was a military veteran, so her passion to help others extended even further. Over the years she has focused a large portion of her work on helping those who care for other veterans.
Courtesy: Caregivers’ Comfort Creations
Keeping It REAL Caregiving is excited and proud to introduce you to Julie Cook Downing, the creator and founder of ‘Caregivers’ Comfort Creations.’
She has spent years designing support products to give caregivers a simple and easy way to share their feelings. That includes following and writing in a journal, and accessing daily reminders to care for ourselves. Such care is necessary if we are to properly care for others.
I caught up with Cook-Downing recently, for the latest episode of the…
Sunday Coffee Chat and Support Session
We talked about her journey through the caregiving space, what she has learned, and her advice for others entering this reality.
Here is a short portion of our conversation and what Cook-Downing told me about why she is determined to help others.
Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself?
A: My business is dedicated to empowering and supporting caregivers. In 1995 when my parents came to an event, I noticed that my mother was having some real issues and that was in the summer of 1995.
When they came back for Christmas, in 1995, I had my family internist get her diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. So in 1996, I became a long distance caregiver to my parents in Cleveland, and I was in Illinois.
Q: Have we improved the landscape since 1995 for caregivers and what have you learned?
A: It’s very different now, because I attended support groups beginning in a 1996, and I learned what many caregivers are like: feeling guilty, feeling by themselves, not reaching out for help.
All those kinds of things are things that I reinforce. So it (caregiving) has moved forward and I’m glad.
I’m glad that I have products for caregivers and. because of the legacy of my parents.
Be sure to watch my full interview with Julie Cook-Downing to learn more about her years of service to caregivers and the ‘must do’ steps she wants all of us to take!
Plus, I am excited and proud to say, Keeping It REAL Caregiving and Caregivers’ Comfort Creations are entering into a wonderful new friendship and partnership!
Because our mutual goals are to reach as many caregivers as possible with information, guidance and support, you can now purchase the Caregivers’ Comfort Creations 2023 downloadable calendar, using a special offer.
When you visit the website, www.caregiversccomfort.com use
PROMO CODE: KIRC to claim your special offer.
Keeping It REAL Caregiving thanks Julie Cook Downing for her vision and new partnership. We are excited because as KIRC continues to grow, we’ll be able to reach more people.
Plus – I mentioned this briefly in a previous post, but KIRC is in the process of launching a CAREGIVER OF THE MONTH feature to recognize those going above and beyond the call of duty.
Your support with a calendar purchase will help to build the coffers to provide a recognition prize for a Caregiver of the Month. We are on our way folks!
(More details coming this week!)
And remember – as caregivers, if we don’t take care of ourselves, we are no good to anyone around us!
Be kind to yourself~
Julia
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