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Wednesday, November 27 2019

I am happy to introduce you to my guest blogger today.  Please welcome Scott Sanders of Cancerwell.org.  Because, like most people, unfortunately, I personally know of someone who is fighting cancer, I find this blog helopful and want to share it with you. I hope you find it helpful, as well. 

How to Make Space for a Loved One Who Is Fighting Cancer

There’s a lot to consider when a family member moves in with you. When it’s a loved one who has cancer, your worries are understandably amplified. From cleaning and sanitizing to organizing and making space, you have a laundry list of steps to take before they come home. Here are ways you can create the ultimate recovery space in your home.

Organize Storage Space for Everyone

Whether you need to clear out a room or make space in the garage for your loved one’s belongings, staying organized is vital.

Of course, if you don’t have a garage, you’ll need another long-term storage option. Adding an outbuilding to your property can help protect your or your family member’s belongings and keep them nearby. Choosing the cheapest option isn’t always the best value, though. Think about what materials to choose — whether steel or wood — and how climate can affect them.

For example, steel has the benefit of being resilient against the elements. However, it can be far more expensive than wood. It also heats up in warmer weather, which could affect your items stored inside. Wood may be less durable, but it’s also more affordable than steel. However, wood doesn’t stand up to weathering as well as other materials. Some wood, like cedar, can resist outdoor conditions better than others, however.

You should establish a budget, then research your area and what materials are most suitable for storing your loved one’s and your own belongings.

Consider Home Care Services

Although you may have the best intentions when choosing to move your family member home for recovery, it can be stressful. Many family members of patients wind up feeling anxious, depressed, helpless, and more when they face caring for their loved one full-time. For everyone’s health and well-being, it can help to seek support.

Cancer.net explains that many types of home care services can help you and your loved ones live fuller lives. Assistance ranges from home health aides who provide nursing care to volunteers who merely sit with the patient so the family can have a break.

Living at home rather than in a facility is often preferable for patients with cancer. Considering in-home help can make the transition easier and less intimidating for everyone involved.

Make Safety and Accessibility Modifications

Depending on your loved one’s health status and mobility level, you may want to add safety features to your home. Side effects from common chemotherapy drugs can include a weak heart, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, poor coordination, and other health issues. In short, the effects of treatment may cause safety challenges at home.

Steps like incorporating grab bars in the restroom or non-slip flooring in the halls can help your family member feel safer and more independent. A shower seat can enhance stability while bathing independently, and a first-floor room means less exertion than climbing stairs.

Think about modifications you can make without renovating your home, but don’t discount the possibility either. Fortunately, many renovations can be low-cost and even DIY.

Give Your Loved One Their Independence (and Privacy)

Undergoing cancer treatment can be stressful, painful, and scary. But it can also be frustrating for a loved one who was formerly independent. For family members with strong personalities, focusing on independence and privacy can help you all live together harmoniously.

Ensuring that your loved one has a say in their moving decision is a good first step. Providing choices for where to store their belongings, how to decorate their room, and what type of home support they have can do wonders for their self-confidence. After all, they’re a person first and a patient second. something many people with cancer want you to recognize.

Studies also suggest that patients who self-manage feel more empowered and confident in their recoveries. Therefore, having a say in medical and other decisions is crucial. Programs like prehabilitation, where patients undergo physical and social training before surgery and treatment, can also help your loved one maintain their strength and independence.

Moving your family member home for cancer recovery is a significant commitment. By working together, you can see them back to good health, and beyond.

Photo via Unsplash

Wishing you all the best!

Posted by: Audrey Cupo AT 01:50 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, August 16 2010

Have you been looking for a way to provide a place to sleep for last minute or out of town guests that doesn't take up a lot of space.  Well, the latest DWR catalog arrived in the mail yesterday, and the Soto sleeper chair instantly caught my attention:

After looking at the picture, I spotted the chair’s $3,300 price tag and quickly closed the catalog. No offense to the designers or the wonderful folks at DWR (it really is an attractive piece of furniture), but $3,300 is way  out of my price range.

Sleeper chairs are fantastic additions in small spaces because they work double duty as seating and guest accommodations. One of these multitaskers in a living room or office is perfect when you don’t have a guest room or space for a larger sofa sleeper.  I have been considering getting one so that when family or friends spend the night, I won't have to make them sleep on the floor, and it can provide a comfortable space to sit and read the rest of the time.

A little more in line with my price range are:

For $130, Target has a single sleeper:

For $20 more ($150), Target has a sleeper lounge chair:

JCPenny has the Sleepy sleeper chair for $500 that is available in nine different upholstery options:

And, for $1,000, is the sleek Vincent twin sleeper from CB2:

You don’t have to spend $3,300 or add a spare room onto your home to increase the number of sleeping accommodations you have to offer guests — a sleeper chair might be all you need for your small space.

Let me know your ideas on saving space on sleeping arrangements.  I would love to hear from you.  In the meantime, have a great week.

Posted by: Audrey Cupo AT 09:24 am   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Friday, May 09 2008

This week's Quick Tip For A Better Space is Part Two from an exerpt of an article posted on the site www.busybeelifestyle.com.  With their permission, I am submitting to you the following: 

I am continuing with the theme of last week's blog which was called "Create A Five Star Guest Room".  This week you can create a more elaborate guest room with a few fun ideas!

You can buy quality sheets with a high thread count without spending a fortune!  Take a look at Martha Stewart's 400 thread count sets starting at $39.00 and 500 count sheets at $59.99 at K-mart.

Pamper your guests with soft, fluffy towels, providing each with a bath towel, hand towel and wash cloth.  Add a monogram for a personal touch.  You can embroider guest towels with your monogram (wife's first initial first, family last name initial large in the middle and husband's first initial last) or a single word like "Welcome" or "Guest".  Fold and bundle each towel set with a wide ribbon.

An especially nice touch is to provide a sturdy wooden luggage rack that looks like bamboo.  Suitcases rest on strong cotton twill straps and a lower shelf can hold shoes or handbags.  Ballard Designs - ballarddesigns.com - $99.50

A water carafe and glass set is a perfect bedside accessory and easily available.

Taking a cue from the best hotels, hang terry cloth robes in the guest room closet.  You can purchase them from Lillian Vernon for a reasonable price.  The Ultra-Soft Microfleece Robe with complimentary personalization costs $49.98.  You don't necessarily need to personalize every last item in your guest room but it can be fun to embroider these robes with "Guest" or "His" and "Hers".

Other touches can include: a clock/CD player for quiet music and wake up calls, a spot to stow wet towels such as an attractive laundry basket or hooks on the back of the door, a reading lamp, coasters, a note detailing a weekend of activities, etc.   Use your imagination and think about what you would like to have if you were a guest in someone's home.

So, why not undertake that guest room makeover today and be ready for visitors tomorrow!

For more information and assistance on any organizing issue you might have, feel free to contact me. I will be more than happy to help you reach your goals for organization and create A Better Space for you.

Have a great week!

Posted by: Audrey Cupo AT 12:02 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Wednesday, April 30 2008

I was networking recently at the Women's Business Expo at Delaware Valley College in Doylestown and met two women who have begun a website called Busy Bee Lifestyle.  They post inspiring ideas for entertaining, decorating, shopping and more.

This week's Quick Tip For A Better Space is an exerpt from an article they posted on their site www.busybeelifestyle.com which I believe will be very helpful to you.  With their permission, I am submitting to you the following: 

CREATING A FIVE STAR GUEST ROOM

Whether you have one bedroom designated as a guest room or you bunk guests in one of your kid's bedrooms, it is important to create a welcoming space!

If you have a separate guest room, make sure the sheets and blankets are freshly laundered.  Stack towels along with extra pillows and blankets, purge the closet of your own clutter and add lots of attractive hangers, fill a basket with all of those mini toiletries from hotel stays and set out a few fun magazines and good books, making sure there is adequate light for reading.  Why not add a few finishing touches such as fresh flowers, a scented candle, a carafe for water and a small dish of candy or mints?

When a child's room serves double duty for guests, consider putting together a "guest room kit".  Use a large wicker basket to hold linens, towels, toiletries and the additional items listed above.  Keep this basket stocked at all times and dedicate the contents for guest use only.  This way, your lucky guests won't end up sleeping on those Disney sheets!

If you are interested in creating a more elaborate guest room, check back next week for some more ideas!

So, why not undertake that guest room makeover today and be ready for visitors tomorrow!

For more information and assistance on any organizing issue you might have, feel free to contact me. I will be more than happy to help you reach your goals for organization and create A Better Space for you.

Have a great week!

Posted by: Audrey Cupo AT 02:15 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
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