Author of, Letters From Madelyn - Chronicles of a Caregiver, Elaine Sanchez has been described as part Erma Bombeck and part Garrison Keillor! She deals with the grim reality of aging and illness, and proves that grace, humor and faith can transcend tragedy. Elaine's tender, gritty and uproariously funny "one woman show," has the audience laughing through their tears!
Elaine brings to the stage, the words of her Mother, Madelyn, a Kansas farm woman's life "turned upside down" when her husband suffers a debilitating stroke. And yet, those same words prove how, even in the midst of the worst end-of-life issues there is an oportunity for deepening spiritual awareness, personal growth, and peace. She makes us believe that we, too, can rejoice in life, even to the end of our days.
While the delivery is staged in humor, Elaine's 4 basic principles serves as support and encouragement for caregivers. Not only does her platform presence honor the memory of her mother, it fulfills her mother's desire to help others who find themselves caring for a loved one! It's education delivered through entertainment-bring a box of tissues!
Creating A Caring Community
Keynote - 60 to 90 minutes
Workshop - 2 1/2 to 3 hours
(NAB Approved for 3.75 CEU's for long-term care administrators and nurses)
Caring for those who can no longer care for themselves is physically and emotionally exhausting. Because of the physical demands and the associated emotional strain, both family caregivers and professional caregivers have a tendency ignore self-care, and they frequently encounter situations that cause them to experience anger, guilt, depression and grief.
When both types of caregivers understand the challenges and rewards experienced by the other, they can work together more effectively to provide the best possible care for their care receivers.
With a unique delivery that touches the heart and tickles the funny bone, Elaine delivers a message that bridges the gap between family and professional caregivers and helps build caring communities.
Her presentations are based on her unflinchingly honest and uproariously funny book, Letters from Madelyn, Chronicles of a Caregiver, and Dorothy's Journal (a book in progress). Madelyn Kubin, a Kansas farm wife, (Elaine's mother) wrote letters to her during the six-years she cared for her husband following his debilitating stroke. Dorothy Tucker is a nurse who journaled her thoughts and experiences during the 30 years she worked in nursing homes and Alzheimer's care communities.
By comparing and contrasting the experiences of these two women, Elaine provides insights into the challenges and emotional stress experienced by both family and professional caregivers. She offers practical, applicable step-by-step process to help them implement their own personalized caregiver survival plan, tips on dealing with challenging behaviors, and insights on how both types of caregivers can work together to provide the best possible care for the patient.
Elaine has been been described as a combination between Garrison Keillor and Erma Bombeck, but don't let the entertainment value of this program fool you. The message is profound.
Both healthcare professionals and family caregivers love the keynote and workshop, because it speaks to the heart of all that is good about caring for those who can no longer care for themselves; it gives attendees permission to be human, and it offers strategies for dealing with others when they are most vulnerable, demanding, and sometimes disagreeable.
Finding Hope and Humor in Caregiving..."and for this I take vitamins!"
Keynote - 45 to 90 minutes
In this presentation Elaine brings compassion, hope, and humor to some very difficult and delicate issues faced by family caregivers. The stories are based on her book, "Letters from Madelyn, Chronicles of a Caregiver" and her own personal experience of caring for family elders.
Although this keynote is laugh-out-loud funny, it delivers a powerful message about understanding and coping with the emotional stress of caring for an aged, chronically ill, or disabled loved ones. Take-away messages:
~In order to care for the aged, disabled, and chronically ill, a person must first learn to care for him/herself
~Even in the very worst end of life situations, that there is still opportunity for mental and spiritual growth
~As long as we have the ability to think and reason, we have the power to control our attitude toward any person, thing, or event
To get the most benefit/impact from Elaine's keynote, add one of her workshops:
WORKSHOP: Caregiver Survival Training
THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF CAREGIVING
Caring for an aging, chronically ill, or disabled loved one is one of the most difficult and generous acts of love any of us will ever be called upon to perform. There is nothing that can make the job of caregiving easy or stress free, but once you accept the fact that self-care is not about being selfish or self-centered, it may be easier for you to understand that in order for you to maintain the physical and emotional strength you need to care for your loved one, you must first learn to care for yourself. This workshop is designed for leading caregivers down the path of recognizing and coping with the anger, guilt, depression, and grief associated with caregiving. Caregivers also learn how to develop their own survival plan and the importance of:
~ Setting limits
~ Getting the right equipment
~ Learning something new
~ Staying connected socially
~ Savoring happy memories
~ Redefining fun
~ Developing your spiritual nature
~ Accepting help
~ Discussing death
~ Controlling your attitude
Workbook available to support this session.
WORKSHOP: Boomer Bootcamp
GETTING PREPARED TO CARE FOR FAMILY ELDERS
Due to advances in science and medicine, we're living longer than ever before. When we enjoy good health and financial security, age seems irrelevant; we can almost believe we will live forever! But the truth is, most of us will need some kind of help managing our health care, our financial affairs and the eventual distribution of our worldly possessions. We have two choices:
1. We can make those decisions ourselves ahead of time and control what happens...or
2. We can relinquish that control and let family members and/or courts of law decide.
Boomer Boot camp, called "Boot Camp" because it's hard, is a program specifically designed to help families conduct the difficult conversations and gather the information they will need to make decisions about issues such as long-term care, life support, and the distribution of material belongings. When families receive specific instructions and clear directions, they not get the tools they need, they feel a tremendous "peace of mind." Topics covered include:
~ Starting difficult conversations
~ Assessing their safety
~ Creating a support network
~ Gathering and organizing important documents
~ Finding resources to help keep them in their homes
~ Checking out long-term care facilities
~ Negotiating the Medicare/Medicaid Maze
~ Completing end-of-life documents
Workbook available to support this session.
KEYNOTE: So, God, what are WE going to do today . . . a spiritual journey through love, life, loss, and laughter.
From lightening strike irreverence to a profound and personal relationship with God...Elaine's presentation - part narrative, part one-woman play, are perfectly suited for anyone with a heavy burden and an open mind. It's 100% entertaining and inspirational. She engages the audience by telling real-life stories that touch the heart, tickles the funny bone and shows how the path to a personal relationship with God is sometimes filled with detours and potholes.
