Elaine Soloway

Elaine Soloway is the mother of Jill and Faith Soloway, and the inspiration for Shelly Pfefferman (Judith Light) on Amazon Video's Golden Globe winning series, Transparent. She is the author of four books: The Division Street Princess, She's Not The Type, Green Nails And Other Acts Of Rebellion: Life After Loss and most recently Bad Grandma and Other Chapters In A Life Lived Out Loud.

Elaine is a public relations, marketing, and tech consultant; and was previously the Director of Communications for the Chicago Public Schools and a press aide to former Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne. She currently writes The Rookie Caregiver, The Rookie Widow and The Rookie Transplant blogs.

Elaine's website is elainesolowayconsulting.com and her email is elainesoloway (at) gmail.com.

Elaine Soloway's Caregiving Series: The Screening Room

I confessed, “I hate this. It’s taken all of the pleasure out of eating.” “Think of the alternative,” my daughters said. “Tommy choking, you trying the Heimlich, you panicking. Is that what you want?” “No,” I said. “I’ll talk to his doctors.” Although they discounted the nurse’s report, and said they’d never heard of a patient choking, the doctors concurred a Cookie Swallow Test might be a good idea. more »

Elaine Soloway's Caregiving Series: Green Thumb

When the seed catalogs arrived in the mail, I handed them to Tommy. Instead of snatching them, he pointed to the coffee table. I dropped them there. Later, when I saw him stuff them, unopened, in the straw basket on the side of the couch, I asked, “Too much work?” “Yes” was the nod. I wondered: had the lapses in his brain that ended his speech, also turned his cherished pastime into something too complex. more »

Elaine Soloway's Caregiving Series: Do You Have a Visual?

My daughter and I were combing the aisles of Ocean State Job Lots, not seeking the retailer’s “quality brand name merchandise at closeout prices,” but instead searching for Tommy. Perhaps he had had enough of my hovering, my reminding, my suggesting, and decided to give me the slip. I worried because his condition has left him vulnerable if he should get lost. more »

Elaine Soloway's Rookie Caregiver Series: Take Care of Yourself

It’s 8:45 in the morning and I'm at the living room window watching my husband enter the passenger side of a car that is not mine. The driver is an attractive young woman. In some other scenario, I’d be the jealous wife, tearful at Tommy’s choice of a new companion. But since this is my life, and the driver is my aide, my feelings are of relief, not wrath. more »