December 10, 2010  

What a delicate dance it is, this eldercare.  I never tire of saying over and over to healthcare professionals that empathy is the key.

Family members caring for their loved one at home pose a unique need.  Yours is a dance, a movement that is danced with commitment, fear and most of all not knowing when to allow for others to step in.  Extended family members sway among the words, the actions and the perceived need

The need is real and is lived in the daily life of caring for the elder.  The family coming to us only makes us the resource – not the experts.  Unless and until, “….the Christ in me blesses the Christ in you just as the Christ in you has blessed the Christ in me…”, to paraphrase my dear friend and mentor, Retired Episcopal Bishop, Bob Hibbs, can we truly be present with each other.