By Dr. Santo D. Marabella, The Practical Prof®

The Lessons of Caring: Inspiration & Support for Family Caregivers

Language: English
All Levels

Course description

Introduction

Are you caring for a loved one or family member? Maybe a spouse or partner with a long-term illness; a child with a physical disability; or, a lonely relative who needs your daily help? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re among the 43.5 million Americans the National Alliance for Caregiving says provide unpaid care to a child or adult.

Hi, I’m Dr. Santo D. Marabella, The Practical Prof®, and I know from personal experience that caregiving for loved ones of any age can be both a life-affirming and a spirit-draining experience.  Since 2014, I’ve been the primary caregiver for my parents, ages 94 and 89, one of whom has Parkinson’s Disease and the other was on permanent hemodialysis.

Caregiving is rewarding on so many levels. At the same time, the job can leave you feeling burnt out, isolated and unable to find balance in your own life.  But there is hope and help. I believe that what I am learning throughout this process may help inspire and support you as you care for your loved one.  So, I want to share the lessons I have learned with you in this course, based on my latest book, "The Lessons of Caring:  Inspiration and Support for Caregivers".

I think we need to take better care of caregivers.  So, if you would like some support and tips on ways to make your role as a caregiver a little easier, then this course is for you.

About the Course I have been a college professor for most of my career, but this course is about the lessons that I have learned in the personal course called “Caregiving.” I present it for two reasons. First, to share some of the insights I have gained from helping my parents deal with the challenges of advanced and complex medical issues and their aging. Second, I present it in the hopes that my insights and perspective will provide support, inspiration and affirmation to other caregivers.

I have deliberately presented and formatted this course with the caregiver in mind, at least as I understand her and him to be from my experience. If your life as a caregiver is similar to mine, then no matter how well-researched and informative the source may be, you have neither the time nor the energy, or for that matter, the desire, to work harder than you already are working to sit through a “heady” course about caring. If you’re like me, you’d turn on mindless TV for an hour and fall asleep before you read someone’s epic dissertation on caregiving.

So, this course is presented as a source of inspiration and support for the contemporary caregiver. The Lessons of Caring is short, sweet, and to the point - relatively short lessons with video commentaries from caregivers to comfort you, video messages from me to encourage you and exercises and questions to help you. It’s the book I would want to read for inspiration and support.

I truly hope that working with me in this course will feed your spirit, recharge your energy and affirm your amazing and life-changing impact as a caregiver! It has been cathartic to prepare!

Course Layout Beginning with Lesson 1, the layout of the Course is:

Caregiver Video* – commentary and advice from caregivers and professionals

The Lesson + Video – my experience and thoughts about the Lesson’s topic

A Mantra – a statement for you to repeat and focus

The Questions – a question or two about the issues and challenges raised in the Lesson

A Reflection – suggestions for thinking and considering the Lesson

The Prof's Message - brief video commentary from the author/teacher

The Homework – activities to help you improve or work on the Lesson

A-Musing – a light way to end each Lesson

*A Note to Course Participants:  This course is based on my book, "The Lessons of Caring:  Inspiration & Support for Caregivers," and many of the  videos in this course are taken from the electronic version of my eBook.  For the most part, with the exception of the opening and closing videos, they are not professionally produced, and that is intention.  I wanted you to hear and see these messages from authentic caregivers who I respect throughout the country - so phone and video conference recording was the most feasible way to do that.

Course overview - 9

  • The Losses are Many

  • The Sadness is Gripping

  • The Regrets are Avoidable

  • The Role is Respect

  • The Goal is Protection

  • The Advocacy is Paramount

  • The Job is Draining

  • The Caring is Love

  • Closing and Thank You!

Learners who have already enrolled in this course

Meet your instructor

Dr. Santo D. Marabella
Dr. Santo D. MarabellaThe Practical Prof®
Santo D. Marabella, MBA, DSW, The Practical Prof®, named in 2018, the Reading Eagle Entertainment Newsmaker of the Year, is an author, playwright, filmmaker, speaker and educator who creates, produces and distributes “edu-tainment that makes a difference".  He is author of two books:  “The Lessons of Caring,” (2018) and, “The Practical Prof:  Simple Lessons for Anyone Who Works,” (2014) and his newspaper column, Office Hours with The Practical Prof has appeared in the Reading Eagle’s Business Weekly since 2012.  He also hosts a podcast, Office Hours with The Practical Prof®... and Friends!, available on your favorite podcast player, which features a variety of topics, in addition to those featured in his monthly newspaper column. Marabella is a trainer for the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance since 2015.  He is an MBTI® Certified Trainer and an Apple Teacher.  Marabella’s artistic endeavors include swriter and producer of a musical, short films and six plays; creator, writer, producer of a TV pilot, “Franklin Street Station”; producer of five short films and a second TV pilot; and, director of more than 25 community theatre productions.  His play, Getting: COMPLETE! (2014) tells what happens when the bully grows up.  He was the founder of the ReadingFilmFEST and was its Executive Producer from 2015-2017. Dr. Marabella is Professor of Management, Moravian College; President, Marabella Entertainment & Education Enterprises LLC; co-founder and former Film Commissioner, ReadingFilm; Co-Founder and Past Chair, Greater Reading Alliance of Community Theatres.  His professional memberships include The Lambs, the Dramatists Guild of America, the Theatre Communications Group, the Academy of Management and the National Association of Social Workers.    Dr. Marabella earned his DSW from the University of Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice; an MBA from St. Joseph’s University; and, a BS in Business Administration from Villanova University. Website:  www.MarabellaLLC.com  LinkedIn profile:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/thepracticalprof/  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ThePracticalProf/  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/MarabellaLLC and https://twitter.com/PracticalProf Manage with a Heart, in ways that feed the Spirit!