Caregiving Can Be Tough and Isolating. It Can Also Connect Us.

The California Report Magazine

Caregivers don’t get a lot of recognition despite doing hard and essential work. This week, stories about caregiving at all phases of life and how hard it can be for some families to provide that care themselves or even find professional help.

Systemic Neglect: How Staffing Shortages In Nursing Homes Leave Patients Trapped in Hospitals

When taking care of a loved one becomes too hard, families often look to nursing homes for help. But finding long term care in California s not easy right now. The industry took a big hit during the pandemic and many facilities are still recovering from staffing shortages. Some patients with complex diagnoses are waiting weeks, months and even years for a bed. KQED health correspondent Lesley McClurg has the story of one man in the Bay Area who has tried everything to find care for his wife.

A Caregiving Son and a Mom with Alzheimer's Find a Musical Connection

What happens when the parent-child role is reversed? In caregiving, this kind of role reversal is common. And it’s what happened to Rob Fordyce. After his 85-year-old mom, Susan, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease two years ago, Rob moved back into his childhood home to take care of her. And despite Susan’s advancing disease, Rob found a surprising way for the two of them to connect, through music. Cayla Mihalovich has their story.

How An LA Child Care Influencer Became A Resource For Providers Across The Country

Child care happens in a lot of different settings: a school, or a center, or a church. What you may not know is that more than a quarter of California’s child care facilities are actually in private homes. And for those providers, it can be a real challenge to juggle caregiving with running a small business. Tonya Mohammad knows this firsthand and understands the myriad of issues that child care providers face. So she's built a following via social media by sharing her three decades of experience taking care of infants and toddlers in Los Angeles. LAist's Mariana Dale brings us her story.

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