Managing Chronic Disease

A guide to chronic disease management during quarantine and Covid19

COVID19

With quarantines and Shelter in Place, “from home” really means from home. The Big Generation’s ‘Managing Chronic Disease’ section has information, tips, and encouragement to help you manage chronic medical problems like high blood pressure, depression, diabetes, COPD and heart failure. These problems didn’t go away with coronavirus. Just the opposite—now it’s more important than ever to effectively manage your chronic illnesses and pre-existing conditions.

Congestive Heart Failure

“Congestive heart failure” is a serious, but manageable, heart problem. CHF is complicated, but everybody who has it suffers from 3 problems: 1) Tiredness and weakness; 2) Shortness of breath, and; 3) Holding onto too much water in your body, especially in the lower legs and the lungs. Take a look at The Big Generation’s guide to learning what CHF is, and what you can do to manage it effectively.

COPD

COPD (or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease—a real mouthful) is a lung disease that makes it difficult to breath, makes sufferers tired and weak, and can cause people to lose, or gain, a lot of weight (go figure, huh). Take a look at these instruction short movies about managing COPD—a couple of them are pretty funny!

Dementia and Alzheimer's disease

Dementia is awful for people who suffer from it, frustrating and exhausting for home health workers, and devastating for family members. We at The Big Generation wish we knew of a cure we could tell you about. We don’t. But we do have some small pieces of advice and a lot of compassion.
Kindness & Respect

‘Kindness and Respect’ will bring you into the homes of two patients, Ethel Jeffers and Rosa Valdez. Both are getting older, and need help from caregivers. With their home health aides as our guides: 1) Competent caregiving and disease management; 2) Selfless devotion; 3) And then one that might surprise you—Friendship. Donna, one of the caregivers, describes her deep friendship with “Mrs. Jeffers” this way: “I treat her with kindness, because she’s a human being. And I am a human being. And we are here… together.”

Acts of Grace

Imagine what might happen if your mom, Elaine, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, were to wander from home on Halloween Night in New York City. Wendy found out. Watch this harrowing, and then inspiring tale of love and redemption.

The Follower

‘The Follower’ is a bittersweet short movie about a couple living with Alzheimer’s disease. She’s becoming more confused. He’s fighting for her, and against his own sadness. But they’re both full of love for each other—every single day.

Meet Patti & Jerry

Patti and Jerry are the real-life stars of ‘The Follower.’ These two incredible actors are actually fighting against dementia themselves. If you’re worried they’ll make you sad, think again. What Patti and Jerry will do is help you re-discover your own joy, love and courage.

Thinking About CareGivers— For those among us 
who know the real meaning of true love:

Caregivers come in all shapes and sizes. There are small caregivers and large caregivers. Old caregivers and young caregivers. Spiritual, religious caregivers and salt-of-the-earth no-funny-stuff caregivers. Family caregivers and home health workers. But despite all their differences, caregivers all share two things: selflessness and a whole lot of love.

Family CareGivers

Usually called into service by some family tragedy, these are the wives, husbands, adult children and, sadly, sometimes parents, who are the lifeline that keeps ailing family members from living out their lives in nursing homes. Watch these movies. Experience what they experience. And even if you’re the only one who can hear it, offer them a quiet thanks.
Acts of Grace

Imagine what might happen if your mom, Elaine, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, were to wander from home on Halloween Night in New York City. Wendy found out. Watch this harrowing, and then inspiring tale of love and redemption.

Lean on Me - Music Video

The BIG Generation’s original music video of this great old standard tells the story of a couple who were ‘caregivers’ for one another from their twenties all the way through the old age they shared. The Big Generation’s Lean On Me is dedicated to its three leads, Robert Foster, Elaine Teitlebaum and Skip Mitchell, all of whom have passed away since this movie was made three years ago.

The Follower

‘The Follower’ is a bittersweet short movie about a couple living with Alzheimer’s disease. She’s becoming more confused. He’s fighting for her, and against his own sadness. But they’re both full of love for each other—every single day.

Meet Patti & Jerry

Patti and Jerry are the real-life stars of ‘The Follower.’ These two incredible actors are actually fighting against dementia themselves. If you’re worried they’ll make you sad, think again. What Patti and Jerry will do is help you re-discover your own joy, love and courage.

For Those Among Us

Even if you haven’t seen the spoken word version of For Those Among Us, without words, the bonds of love and devotion between caregivers and patients speak for themselves. What may be most touching, is that those beautiful bonds are equally loving in both directions.

For Those Among Us - Music Video

Here are some quotes from ‘For Those Among Us. Some are of caregivers, others are the words of patients:
“When my mother died, Brian was there for me.”
“My mom can’t talk to me now, and I can’t talk to her (because she doesn’t understand anymore). So we just spend time together.”
“I don’t know what I would have done without my sister.”
….“Brian is my best friend.”

Home Health Workers

Know for Sure

Mammograms aren't just for your patients.

Kindness & Respect

‘Kindness and Respect’ will bring you into the homes of two patients, Ethel Jeffers and Rosa Valdez. Both are getting older, and need help from caregivers. With their home health aides as our guides: 1) Competent caregiving and disease management; 2) Selfless devotion; 3) And then one that might surprise you—Friendship. Donna, one of the caregivers, describes her deep friendship with “Mrs. Jeffers” this way: “I treat her with kindness, because she’s a human being. And I am a human being. And we are here… together.”

For Those Among Us

Even if you haven’t seen the spoken word version of For Those Among Us, without words, the bonds of love and devotion between caregivers and patients speak for themselves. What may be most touching, is that those beautiful bonds are equally loving in both directions.

Bahala Na

The Big Generation makes its own videos, reality shows, and interactive social media. Bahala Na is our lyrical animated movie about Marisol, a Filipino home health aide who balances her patients’ needs with raising 4 daughters, half a world away, in The Phillipines.

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