Donna began her journey in Human Services in 1983. During the next 35 years she held various positions and formally retired in 2018. She writes on an array of social issues. Donna’s relaxation time includes walking her Lab, Roxy, having fun with her six grandchildren, writing for Silver Sage, spending time with friends, and applying self-care. Her current full-time position is care-taking her 90+ year-old father.
Guilt—A Wasted Emotion by Donna Scrafano Caring for a loved one can be, the most stressful job one may experience throughout a lifetime. In addition to the numerous tasks involved and the many, many roles one must play (nurse, doctor, advocate, parent, protector, domestic manager, accountant, chauffer, etc.), there’s also the “guilt” factor. I spent Read more
Orphaned at 65 by Donna Scrafano I recall worrying about my parents’ health when I was in my twenties and thirties. I had a great fear of losing them during that time. Although my parents were seemingly very healthy, my concern about losing them was still present. Maybe this was because my mother lost her Read more
New-Found Freedom by Donna Scrafano Anyone who has ever dedicated their time on a 24/7 basis to care for a loved one knows the amount of freedom that they must sacrifice. After caring for my elderly father for four-plus years, he passed away this summer at the age of 90. After that, I experienced a Read more
The Journey By Donna L. Scrafano I didn’t really look at caring for my elderly father as a journey. At least not “my” journey. I believed it was my father’s journey and that I was assigned to make sure he traveled through it safely. Little did I know or realize, until the very end, that Read more
When the Universe Says “Shut Your Mouth” by Donna L. Scrafano For most of my life there has always been someone attempting to prevent me from speaking out or expressing an opinion. Those someones included my immediate family, certain teachers, even public service people (when they were not doing their jobs correctly) and especially individuals Read more
Life Lessons from Dad by Donna Scrafano As I observe his physical and mental health deteriorate, I find it difficult to embrace the fact that this ninety-year-old, ever-fading, weak individual is my father. I must get past the sometime daunting tasks of caregiving in order to be able to reminisce. It is only recently, because Read more
A Different Kind of Identity Theft by Donna L. Scrafano Arriving on this universe as a female, there were “expected” identities handed to me, as well as the obvious. In addition to being identified as a female, daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, and grandniece, I was supposed to grow to be the picture of the “Italian Read more
Although I was also a single mom, and then became a single grandmother, I embraced the experience. Advising my parents about the new challenge my daughter and I would be encountering was probably the most difficult task. Why? Because my grand child would be bi-racial, African American and Caucasian. Although I had a multi-cultural mind set, that was not the cultural norm I came from. I had to fight my way through the limitations and barriers of my family of origin. That's another topic, for a later article. Read more
When the Cartilage is Gone by Donna L. Scrafano Cartilage is firm yet soft, a flexible and strong connective tissue. It is a major structural component of our bodies, keeping our bones and muscles functioning properly and working together. Lately I have begun to view the idea of cartilage as a metaphor for family connectedness. Read more
Grandparenting at Thirty Something by Donna L. Scrafano Learning that my just-turned-16-year-old daughter was pregnant and that I was going to be a grandmother at the age of 39 filled my entire being with a plethora of emotions—shock, concern, anxiety, excitement, and confusion. As a Human Services professional, I knew that teen pregnancy was a Read more
