What’s Behind Mom Guilt? Mom Guilt. Ugh. It comes with the territory of being a mom. But why? Why is it so ingrained in us, as parents and as moms, to care with every ounce of our soul, until our physical battery is at 0% – and yet we still feel guilty?  How many moms… Continue reading What’s Behind Mom-Guilt?

There is a technique in trauma therapy that calls upon the five senses when hurt or the memory of past hurt becomes too overwhelming. It’s so simple it feels almost impossible to be a thing that works. But in my own experience, it’s often the simplest methods that do the trick. Like setting out running… Continue reading Using the Five Senses to Calm

Each May, we celebrate Older Americans Month (OAM) to recognize the countless contributions older adults make in our communities. The time, experience, and talents of older adults enrich the lives of those around us. This year’s theme, “Aging Unbound,” focuses on how older adults can age in our communities, living independently for as long as… Continue reading Older Americans Month: Why Age At Home?

Every April, we celebrate National Occupational Therapy Month to honor the differences these vital clinicians make in the lives of individuals and their caregivers. For those who practice it, occupational therapy (OT) is more than a profession; it’s a passion, and it’s about people. What is occupational therapy? Occupational therapy is a science-driven, evidence-based profession… Continue reading What is Occupational Therapy (OT)?

Prior Authorization: a System That Harms and Frustrates Patients When Paula Chestnut needed hip replacement surgery last year, a pre-operative X-ray found irregularities in her chest. As a smoker for 40 years, Chestnut was at high risk for lung cancer. A specialist in Los Angeles recommended the 67-year-old undergo an MRI, a high-resolution image that… Continue reading Feds Move to Rein In Prior Authorization

Get to Know this Year’s Annual Caregiver Story Contest Judges We are thrilled to present our panel of independent judges for Shield HealthCare’s 20th Annual Caregiver Story Contest. This year’s panel hailed from California, Texas, and Ohio. We would like to extend a sincere thank you to our judges for participating, and for taking time… Continue reading Introducing the 20th Annual Caregiver Story Contest Judging Panel

What Are Developmental Disabilities? Developmental disabilities are a group of conditions that come from a physical, learning, language, or behavior impairment that manifests before the individual turns 22. These conditions usually last throughout a person’s lifetime and can affect everyday living. Recent estimates in the United States show that about one in six (17%) of… Continue reading Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month: Beyond the Conversation

Here’s Why Music is the Universal Language This past autumn in that magical window of time before the weather requires multiple layers but after the leaves start to change, our family attended a festival to raise money to clean up the river that winds its way through our small town. The “Riverfest” was less than… Continue reading Music is the Universal Language

We Cannot Underestimate the Importance of Disabled Role Models for Our Kids I’m pretty good at being my son Charlie’s mom. I know the difference between his sad cry and mad cry, his happy laugh and jokester laugh. I know his favorite foods and can probably guess what he’d want to do at any given… Continue reading The Importance of Disabled Role Models

Advocacy Doesn’t Have to Mean 100% Inclusion I want my son Charlie to be with his peers. I want him to roll his wheelchair out onto the playground for recess and sit in the cafeteria during lunch and participate in the Fun Run (where his aide wheeled him in whirligig circles on the track until… Continue reading Is Inclusion Always the Right Choice?