Special needs situations, like those we find in a home healthcare setting, demand special responses.

The individuals registered on HomeBoundResources share education, information and resources valuable to caregivers and patients.  Don’t just take our word for it.  Check out the Testimonials on the Menu Footer!  You are probably under a tremendous amount of stress and strain – both physically and emotionally – and you probably feel very alone right now.  Our goal is to let you know that you are part of a bigger community with neighbors who are facing similar challenges.

To that end, we’re introducing some fundamental tools to make your life easier:

• Our Caregiver Classroom.  Start by enrolling in our online series with the “Carefree Caregiver: A Short Course to Peace of Mind.”
• FREE gifts to members of our community.  Join our mailing list and receive Tammy’s Tips and a copy of the Carefree Caregiver Journal, downloadable files that allows you to create your own story and explore your personal life path.
• Everybody benefits by a little help from their friends–and Tammy’s Resource Team is dedicated to addressing the challenges we face as informal caregivers! Look for interesting articles on Fitness, Relationship Dynamics, Mobility, Overcoming Challenges. If you have an issue that needs addressed, let us know. You’d be surprised by the creative solutions people use!
• Our Seal of Approval which recognizes empathic design in products, services and resources used in our community.  Your participation and feedback, along with others from the Caregiver Community, make this one of the most valuable tools we offer.  Look for our Tammy Tested. Caregiver Approved.  HomeBoundResources Seal of Approval.  Our Seal indicates empathic design first and foremost.
• Our Classified Ads feature durable medical equipment and more!  Targeted for the special needs of persons with disabilities, this is a great place to find and to sell used products that can easily be recycled by someone in need.
• Visit our Shop, Katrin’s Korner Store named in memory of Tammy’s mom, where we have hand-selected books and products that we know are thoughtful and relevant for our community.
• Now, with all these great features…don’t forget to sign up for our mailing list.  You’ll begin receiving Tammy’s Tips immediately and in the near future, we’ll have some great deals to share with you, too!

Take heart…you are not alone, and now you have an important role to play by contributing your knowledge and experience with other people across the globe who need you just as much as you need them!

For what it’s worth, the National Family Caregivers Association (visit their website at www.thefamilycaregiver.org/about/) estimates that there are approximately 65 million people in the nation currently caring for someone in need.  It’s not an easy road, and that’s why HomeBoundResources was created by caregivers for caregivers.

Let’s not reinvent the wheel. Together, as a community, we are the experts in collecting and sharing the most important resources, information, and help for people who are challenged by a home healthcare situation.  We really do care about how caregivers and patients achieve the highest standard of living possible.

We understand that every situation is different, and good advice in one situation may not be so appropriate in another. So, please let us know what’s working and what’s not. If you have some advice of your own on a topic that we’ve written about, please feel free to e-mail your feedback to us. This effort works best when we all help each other.

About Tammy

When I was eight years old, my mother had a tragic accident that changed our lives forever. She became disabled and eventually bedbound. By the time I was 12 years old, she began using a bedpan and urinal full-time. I was the only child left at home and with my father, Sam (that’s us below at my graduation from Pepperdine’s Graziadio School of Business), we took on my mother’s 24-hour care until she died when I was 25 years old.

In the 17 years that my father and I cared for my mom, we pioneered a lot of everyday solutions from scratch. Sound familiar? This included learning how to clean up a bedpan, trim her toenails, wash her hair at bedside, and spoon-feed her when her body was too riddled with pain for her to help herself.

The picture above is of my mom, Katrin, and me. It’s one of the last times I can remember her standing, and even more precious, it’s one of the last memories I have of her able to lift her own arms to give me a hug.

My mother died in 1992 and I vowed to use our family’s experience to help others in a similar situation. The Internet wasn’t as developed as it is today, and quite frankly, nor were the resources and medical equipment.

I wish you the greatest support in your life’s journey. As difficult as my Mom’s illness was, our special relationship was unlike that of any other mother and daughter I know. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and that our journey together was a gift in disguise.

In honor of my mom, I can think of no greater gift to give you than to share her story — so that your journey, and the journey of the loved one you care for — is as peaceful and comfortable as possible.

If you’d like to share your story or ideas with me, please email me at: Tammy@HomeBoundResources.com.  Better yet, sign up on our (private) mailing list so that we can stay in touch!