One of Calvin’s lines has resonated with me for many years, and is a thought I often ponder on behalf of my own kids – especially during their busy fall days when school is followed by homework is followed by football practice is followed by bed, night after night.

“There’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want.”

For the boys, a little time is found between 3:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon and 7:00 a.m. Monday morning, and I try to respect that by not filling it with too many “have tos”.  With the exception of their football games on Saturday mornings and family chores worked in at some point, the weekend is usually theirs to do all the nothing they can come up with.  For us adults, however, that time is harder and harder to find.  It seems there is always something to do, or something that can be done.

As I have mentioned in other posts, I believe that there is nothing quite so important as taking care of oneself.  Especially if that self is a caregiver in any capacity.  Find a little nothing to do once in awhile.  Find the time to do it.

Carrie Hastriter – Co-Founder, Caregiver’s Touch

We are fortunate to have an accomplished journalist like Kris working to highlight caregiving and elder care issues in the Treasure Valley.  Some of her recent articles include:

Idahoans struggle to find the right balance of care for their aging relatives

Growing old in Idaho is expensive, study finds

Idaho agencies share ideas to help vulnerable adults

Caregiver’s Touch appreciates the careful and mindful work of professionals like Kris and Shawn who draw attention to the important issues surrounding caregiving. 

Carrie Hastriter – Co-Founder, Caregiver’s Touch

While our family works well as a team, and we four feel allegiance to our two youth football teams, I am reminded how any endeavor is enhanced when the various members view themselves as teammates.  I will visit the boys’ classrooms in the evening this week for Back to School night and continue to build my team relationship with the teachers for the new school year.  The Caregiver’s Touch team continues to explore the ways in which we can best share our tool with others who are themselves teammates in the care of others.  Each day I am reminded that working in cooperation with others, no matter what the team, makes me happier, more relaxed, and much more productive.

“Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable” – Kenyan Proverb

Carrie Hastriter – Co-Founder, Caregiver’s Touch

As a caregiver – mom to two young sons – there was not much room in the schedule for focused exercise these past months while they were out of school for the summer. Now that the fall routine is back in place, I am thankful for the time to take care of myself – especially since I have found a practice that helps and heals the complete “me”. As difficult as it is to find that time, caregivers must try to care for themselves at some point, hopefully each day. Whether it’s simply taking a moment to read the newspaper or a book, stealing away for a quick walk, or just quietly sitting in a sunny window; those who care for others deserve and require time to rest and restore in order to be best-prepared to meet the needs of their loved ones.

Carrie Hastriter – Co-Founder, Caregiver’s Touch

Once I became resigned to the approaching start of school, I began making my to-do list.  There are closets to organize, clothes to sort and donate, toys to evaluate – will they stay or will they go?  The boys’ nightstand drawers are overflowing with mementos of the summer including chopsticks, paper airplanes, interesting rocks and similar treasures.  I need to make some executive decisions, during the quiet of the school day, in order to make room for the inevitable mementos of the next season…

Another item on my list is to continue building my Caregiver’s Touch profiles.  This has been a work in progress all summer and while the information on my immediate family is fairly complete, I’ll now have time to work closely with my mom and dad to flesh out their profiles. 

Once my list is checked-off, I am looking forward to attacking my neglected photo albums.  At this point I am a full year behind (unprecedented!). Hopefully I can get this project cleaned-up before the holidays hit again!

Carrie Hastriter – Co-Founder, Caregiver’s Touch

The great thing about using Caregiver’s Touch is that there are no required fields when building personal profiles (other than the field to create a sensitive data password!).  Our clients are welcome to enter as much or as little information as is comfortable. 

In our modern world, we each become resigned to technology at different rates.  My favorite tidbit from the boys’ latest National Geographic Kids magazine is found in “35 Cool Things About the Future”.  Cool Thing #1:  “Skin-mounted dermal displays will turn your forearm into a TV screen so you can check email or display cool animated tattoos.”  I don’t know if I’ll ever be tech-hungry enough to watch TV on my arm, but I do currently love the organizational ability that Caregiver’s Touch and other technologies provide me at home and on the go!

Carrie Hastriter – Co-Founder, Caregiver’s Touch

The folks at the craft store I visited to purchase my own supplies were a little distracted the day I was in, so I began to feel a little anxious – how was I going to get started again?  Almost in unison, after hearing my dilemma, the three handsome men in my life suggested I “look it up on You Tube“.  Brilliant.  I was immediately in front of a simple, step-by-step video that began with casting on.  Side note:  Grandma casts on with her needles, which I would never in a million years be able to do without her sitting beside me.  My video, though, showed how to cast on by hand, using one’s fingers.  There was more than one way to skin this cat, and I was back in business.

I have been thinking ever since about how convenient it was to find assistance for learning an age-old skill on a website that has come into its own in just the past few years.  In the same spirit, I can’t think of an endeavor more ageless than taking care of a loved one.  Bringing the convenience of online and mobile technology to organize one’s caregiving is exactly what Caregiver’s Touch is all about.

Carrie Hastriter, Co-Founder, Caregiver’s Touch

Working and SWEATING in more than 90 degree heat these past days, raking up the grass that Dean has trimmed, loading it in the wheelbarrow so that we can haul it to the towering temporary pile out front – all before Dean can mow the area to even it up – we have been talking a lot about not letting tasks get away from us.  Today we decided that this lawn maintenance can easily be compared to the work required to organize personal records and information.  Both tasks are overwhelming if one doesn’t stay on top of things.  Creating and gradually building Caregiver’s Touch profiles for yourself and other loved ones is time well-spent when compared to the struggle of rounding up critical information in the face of an emergency.

Consider building Caregiver’s Touch profiles now, store them securely, and share them with loved ones BEFORE they are needed.  Stay on top of that fescue!

Carrie Hastriter – Founder

My neighbor-friend is on my mind this month as she prepares to move her elderly father from his home in another state to our community.  Jane and her husband have purchased a small house in the neighborhood so that Jane’s dad can live independently as long as possible, but still benefit from the help that family members just down the street will provide.  Jane and her siblings are currently in the process of downsizing their father’s lifetime of belongings – the thought of which has sent me to various closets in my own home this summer, sorting in solidarity!

Jane has been a wonderful resource for the Caregiver’s Touch team as we work to make our tool as functional and user-friendly as possible.  One of her comments earlier this summer has prompted work on a section to keep track of bills to pay, a feature which will be coming soon to both the Caregiver’s Touch website and smartphone application.

Carrie Hastriter – Founder