How to Be a Good Caregiver
Has life thrown you a curve ball and turned you into a caregiver?
It’s possible you are a caregiver, and you don’t even realize. It may have started out small – taking mom or dad to an eye doctor appointment, then doing their grocery shopping, then managing their finances . . . or maybe a health crisis triggered a call to action – and suddenly – your life has changed. Being a caregiver has become part of your new normal.
Welcome to your new role. Oftentimes, this comes on as an addition to your other roles in life: parent, employee, spouse, volunteer. . . Whether you are a relative, friend, or neighbor, adding the caregiver role to you list of to-do’s can be stressful and draining.
You can’t help other people if you are not well yourself. That’s why the airline safety videos encourage you – in the case of an emergency – to put on your own oxygen mask before helping others with theirs. This applies to caregivers as well.
If you are first starting out, you will experience many challenges. You likely will feel uncertain and insecure about many facets of what’s to come. First make sure you are armed with the information you need to get the job done. Learn about the condition your loved one has, what caregiving skills will be required, and any financial or legal matters that could come up. Communicating clear expectations to everyone involved is also very helpful.
Second, understand that whether being a caregiver for the short-term or over a longer period, the best way to be a good caregiver is to also care for yourself. Here are a few thing to keep in mind:
- There is no perfect caregiver, so let that expectation go
- Learn about the skills that are needed in your situation
- Say “no” to the skills you cannot do
- Prioritize tasks, identify what must get done, and learn to let the rest go
- Take care of your physical health: eat right, move your body, get enough sleep
- Get some regular down time to relax and take care of your mental health too
- Be realistic about what you can and cannot control
- Laugh whenever the opportunity arises – sometimes humor is the best medicine
Thirdly, don’t feel you have to take on herculean tasks alone. Don’t be afraid to accept help if it is offered. The longer you stay in this role, the more isolated you can become. Plan for relief from your responsibilities so you can get out and spend time with friends. Find and attend caregiver support groups. These groups are great opportunities to discover that you are not alone and learn new coping skills from others who are in similar situations.
Taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of a loved one. Keeping yourself and others informed, taking care of your health, and getting support when you can will help things go more smoothly. To be a good caregiver, you have to learn to put your oxygen mask on first.
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We want you to be well and to live your best life. The content is in this blog is provided for the purposes to educate and entertain you: our very important reader. It is not intended as medical advice or as a substitute for medical advice from a trained healthcare professional.
If you have a medical condition or are under the care of a medical provider, please always seek the advice of a qualified medical professional before undertaking a new health care regime. To that point, never disregard medical advice or delay treatment for a medical condition because of something you read on this site.
Listen to your care providers as they know you and your condition best. Thank you for reading!
The Team at BSDI
My mother is 87 years old and my sisters and I help care for her. I found this information very helpful.
It’s worthwhile to check what community resources are available to families carrying for an elderly or disabled family member. When my mother was in the late stages of Alzheimer’s, I found that signing her up for in-home hospice brought some benefits such as someone to come every week to help bathe her. More recently, I found a one-stop-shop phone number to find out about available services in the county where my mother-in-law lives. The services included transportation, meals on wheels, subsidized medicines and housing, respite care, and so forth. A little bit of outside help goes a long way to easing the burden of caregiving.
This is helpful for all caregivers. Wonderful tips and insight.