Helene Moore» adopt a caregiver

Being With Family

Helene Moore — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 18:15:07 +0000

Being back in California with all the kids, grand-kids and great grand-kids is wonderful. What more can I ask for? We now have two great grand children. A girl, almost 7 months old, and a boy, just a month old. We spend a lot of time together.

Someone in our family made a simple family tree in 1996 and it wasn’t until I added my great grand children that it seems that they are the 8th or 9th generation in our family. So, I have decided to start delving into our family tree. It’s a huge project, lots of dead ends, and a lot of thought and work will have to go into getting into the records. I’m going to try.

Other than that, am looking forward to my birthday in two weeks and one day. Next year I will be eighty! Because of that and my health I have to give up on Adopt A Caregiver. I will still write about it, but I can’t run out to speak to groups like I did in Henderson. This will be an easier path for me.

I thank all of you who have responded to Adopt A Caregiver. And now, all I ask, is for you to be aware of the caregivers in your block, your work, your school, and your community. These people are lonely, scared, don’t want to talk about it, but they need a friend. Send a note, an email, just check in once in a while. Please.

If you don’t understand what it’s like to be a caregiver, read my book, Behind The Mask. I spent seven long years smiling for my husband who was suddenly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Stand in my shoes for an hour or two, read how I felt and have compassion for those around you.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

My Get Up And Go Has Gone

Helene Moore — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:10:31 +0000

Tired, tough day, no. Just feeling blah. Everything is a struggle. Fibromyalgia is alive and well, and it is making me feel awful. I am hurting. Everywhere.

Tomorrow is another day. I’m looking forward to waking up and feeling great.

I’m going for a much needed haircut, and out to dinner with my daughter.

At least I’m knitting. Otherwise I’d probably be even more miserable.

Talk to you tomorrow.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

Give the gift that lasts forever and costs nothing. Adopt A Caregiver.

Your Past Is Not Your Future

Helene Moore — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:02:30 +0000

We are all shaped by our past. Our parents, schools, friends, all played a part in who we are. We all have our burdens, our bullies, things we didn’t know how to cope with. How you choose to remember is up to you.

But, you do have choices and the person you are today is by your choice. Don’t waste it. Life is precious. Time is what we all have in common. How we use that time is up to us. Only you can make your life the best it can be.

November is National Caregivers Month. Give the gift that lasts forever and costs nothing. Adopt A Caregiver and tell them your friend Helene sent you.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

Visist www.adoptacaregiver.org

Support Caregivers

Helene Moore — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:03:40 +0000

November is National Caregivers Month. Support your community. Find a caregiver and offer to email or call them. Offer to arrange a lunch for them. Offer your shoulder to cry on, to help carry the load of the world that’s on their shoulders. Encourage them to tell their story. Either in written form, or on line. There are many sites for caregivers to tell their stories.

It only takes a couple of minutes to form a friendship with an email. Particularly in your own neighborhood. Someone knows a caregiver.

Give the gift that lasts forever and costs nothing. Adopt A Caregiver.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

Making Mistakes

Helene Moore — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:00:35 +0000

We all make mistakes. This week I’ve been full of them. Some of them have been frustrating, humiliating, and others I have learned that you can learn from your mistakes.

I failed the written driving test the first time around, and felt foolish and humiliated. I had to rip out several parts of the sweater I’m knitting, and that was frustrating. A lot of stitches to rip out and put back on the needles the correct way. Very time consuming, but I learned what I did wrong. At least I hope I did.

We all make mistakes, if we didn’t make mistakes, we aren’t making any decisions. And that’s a bad thing. In one day we make many decisions, about what to make for dinner, to get the paperwork off the desk, to make those phone calls we keep putting off and to cope with the day with a smile on our face.

A smile on our face shows we care, and that we can cope. A smile makes us feel good. So find something to smile about.

I am smiling, I have my first great grandchild’s baby shower on Saturday. It’s a girl. Four generations of women. This child also will have six, yes, six great grandparents! How wonderful.

Stand in someone else’s shoes, and then make the decision, what would you do? You certainly would understand them better. You will feel their pain, their emotions, and have some compassion for what they are going through.

Can’t find someone’s shoes to stand in? Read Behind The Mask by Helene Moore, a secret journal, written when she was a caregiver for her husband. Then seven years later, the diagnosis was changed. Yes, we were the lucky ones. So now it’s time to give back.

I started Adopt A Caregiver, see www.adoptacaregiver.org then help me spread my word, and plant the seeds for everyone to adopt a caregiver. They need a friend.

Keep love and kisses in your life Helene

Writing Is Addictive

Helene Moore — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:10:29 +0000

I’ve always known that writing is addictive. The more you write, the more you want to write. Writing in a journal, writing a memoir, writing a story, writing out your goals, lists of things to do, becomes a habit when done every day. And you know what, your writing actually gets better.

My problem: I’ve exchanged writing for knitting. I’ve become addicted to knitting for the new great grandbaby coming the end of November. And then found a few things to knit for myself. Knitting at night with my husband and the tv. on is a good thing.

But, I found that I have missed my writing. And so I want to get back to it. Starting right now. I have missed writing in my journal, and I had started a short story, and only got the first few lines written, and my blog is suffering because I haven’t started my Adopt A Caregiver program here in California. Waiting for the legal issues to be finished. Soon…

In the meantime, I hope you will come back to read my blog because I love writing them. I also hope you look at the website. www.adoptacaregiver.com and help me plant the seeds. Yes, one person can make a difference. And this world needs a difference. Give something back.

Adopt A Caregiver in your neighborhood, and tell them your friend Helene sent you. Just send an email and tell them you’d like to be their friend. You’d like to understand what being a caregiver is and that you know it’s hard.

Read my secret journal, Behind The Mask, and see how this caregiver’s emotions on every page.

Keep love and kisses in you life. Helene

We Have To Be Aware

Helene Moore — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:21:58 +0000

Since I was mugged in New York in the 80′s, I’m always aware. Aware of who is around me, aware of what is happening with my body, and just aware.

We all need to be aware. Aware of scams, of people trying to take advantage of us, or scaring us in any way.We need to know who our neighbors are, and if they need help, or we need help, we know who these people are.

Be aware of yourself, your body, what is around you, what medicine you take, how you react to others, and how they react to you.

Be yourself. Be helpful, but always be aware.

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

Visit my website

www.adoptacaregiver.org

Words Are Powerful

Helene Moore — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 02:38:55 +0000

Words can be powerful. Words can hurt. Words can also heal.

Powerful words inspire, create feelings of peacefulness and harmony.

Words can also hurt. Words can’t be taken back. Think before you speak. Once you have hurled hurtful words at someone, you can’t take them back.

Words can heal. I urge everyone to write down their feelings, memories, their hopes and dreams, their goals, their grateful list, and their affirmations.

When my husband was suddenly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, I turned to my computer and secretly wrote about my emotions, my thoughts, my fears. That journal saved my sanity.

When the doctor changed the diagnosis, I showed Howard my secret journal, and he said publish it.

I did, and Behind The Mask became that book. Please read about how it inspired me to go on and start

www.adoptacaregiver.org

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene

Support Caregivers

Helene Moore — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 01:33:12 +0000

One day you might be a caregiver yourself. Support caregivers, treat them like you yourself would like to be treated.

Caregivers are working 24/7. They are lonely, exhausted, too tired to go out to support groups, and remember support groups are not for everyone.

You need to look around your community, surely there is a caregiver there. All it takes is an email to start a friendship.

Give the gift that lasts forever and costs nothing.

Adopt A Caregiver and tell them your friend Helene sent you.

Keep love and kisses in your life.

Visit www.adoptacaregiver.com

Read Behind The Mask, a secret journal, to know how one caregiver felt. Me!

Things To Do Before I Die

Helene Moore — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:44:59 +0000

I wrote this almost ten years ago, and it still holds true today.

“Things to do before I die. Now where did that thought com from? It flew into my mind like a tornado and wouldn’t leave. So, lets see if I can come up with some answers.

First of all, assuming I have enough years left, I’d like to continue to sample life, love and family. That’s always my first priority. Then there’s reading, writing, and knitting.

I hope my love of life and learning stays with me forever. I like learning from others, listening, sharing. I like something to do every day, spending time at home and time alone with my thoughts.Spending time with Howard.

I’d like to leave a legacy of love. I’d like world peace. I’d like everyone to take charge of his own life, to share himself with his world and to give something back. I’d like love to be all things to all people”

Yes, it all still hold true to this day. There have been some changes/additions. I have published my book, Behind The Mask, we have moved back to California to be near our family, and we are dedicated to seeing our Adopt A Caregiver grow. You can see what that is by looking at

www.adoptacaregiver.org

Keep love and kisses in your life. Helene