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Lyn and Bill Roche

Published: December 7, 2007

Lyn's new column, The Caregiver's Caregiver, first appeared last July in 4You, Tampa Tribune's magazine for health, fitness, nutrition and appearance. Kim Franke-Folstad, editor of 4You, recognized the need for caregivers to take as good care of themselves as they do the loved ones in their care.

The subject is one Lyn has been involved in since the 1980s when she began helping care for both her father and her grandmother. Her father suffered with Alzheimer's disease for 13 years. Her grandmother did not have dementia, but she grew increasingly frail and unable to care for herself. She lived to be 95.

Lyn's many magazine articles on caring for caregivers and her book filled with practical caregiving tips earned her the nickname "the caregiver's caregiver." Therefore, naming the new column was easy.

The Caregiver's Caregiver follows a Dear Abby-type format and can be found in 4You every other Saturday. Lyn is happy to report that the number of readers who send her caregiving questions though e-mails and by snail mail increases every week.

Many 4You readers, who are not caregivers themselves, tell her they send the column to friends or family members currently involved in caring for elderly loved ones. This is also evident by the letters she receives from people in other states saying that relatives in Florida send them the column.

If you haven't discovered Lyn's column, look for it every other Saturday in 4You. Also check out website www.thecaregiverscaregiver.com where Lyn personally greets visitors through a short welcoming video and a written message.

The Web site is a comfortable place to come to anytime, day or night. Bill has recently archived every column Lyn has written for 4You as well as some Boomers & Beyond columns we've written the past three years dealing with aging and caregiving.

As a special treat he's included many Boomers & Beyond articles that just generally uplift, inspire and touch the heart. Archived issues are listed by subjects and titles.

You'll find heartwarming favorites like "Grandbabies, Butterflies, and Rainbows." As well as; "Furry Friends And Unconditional Love," "An Old Friend Is The Greatest of Blessings," and "It's Never Too Late To Fall In Love."

He's even included "Dusting Off Our Listening Skills." You might want to re-read it before that big family get-together on Christmas Day. "Humor Is A Great Stress Reliever" and "It Takes Courage To Un-ring Some Bells" could also prove helpful during the holidays.

You don't have to be a caregiver to benefit from the compassionate safe haven the website provides anytime you need it. So, if you're up in the middle of the night and can't sleep, turn on the computer and visit www.thecaregiverscaregiver.com. Enjoy Lyn's video and written message and then click on the link to archived articles.

We also invite you to take the time each week to read the words in italics at the ending of our columns. They change often as we continue to offer you resources and add new helpful features to our many Web sites. They're not fancy, busy Web sites. There are no annoying ads or interruptions. They're user-friendly and they're from our hearts to yours.

It's all about caring about you - our fellow travelers on this ever-changing journey called life.

Lyn and Bill live in Highlands Ridge. Lyn is the author of Coping With Caring. They're co-authors of Sharing The Care. They facilitate a weekly caregiver support group Thursdays 1-2pm at Crown Pointe, 5005 Sun 'n Lake Blvd. in Sebring. Call 402-0464 for more information. Visit their websites www.thecaregiverscaregiver.com, www.boomersandbeyondthecolumn.com and www.journeybookstore.com.

©2007 Journey Publications

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