Elder Care Cafe

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You made the decision. You chose to care enough for someone else that you were now their caregiver. Whether you decided to move in with the person you were caring for, or they moved in with you, you arrived at a time when you wondered how you were going to keep it all together.

At some point in time, you probably realized you could not do this thing called care giving by yourself. You may have looked around to see who could help out, what other resources were available, and came to a number of conclusions. Based on those conclusions, you also made decisions.

Keeping it all together

Whether you decided to bring in extra help and take advantage of resources that were available, or you found there was no one else you could call on, the one thing that was certain was you needed to keep yourself together. Many caregivers do not take enough time to care for themselves, thus placing themselves at possible risk for a myriad of emotional or physical problems.

Here are a few ways you can keep it all together:

• For your sake, and the sake of the one you are caring for, you must take time out for yourself. Whether you take a few hours a day, or plan to get away for several days, you must step away from the situation to gain breathing room.
• Pace yourself. During the day, give yourself routine breaks including lunch and dinner. If you need to bring in a neighbor or family member for an hour or two, then do that. Don’t feel that you have to accomplish everything in one day.
• Connect with fellow caregivers either online or in local support groups. Sharing your story and hearing theirs helps you keep your perspective.
• Let the word “no” be a part of your lexicon. There are times when you will have to say no to your loved one or to others who may want to intrude on your time.
• Know that there is a future and a hope. There is a tomorrow, and it may or may not be close at hand. Sometimes in the midst of a situation that seems like it will never end, we forget that tomorrow will come.

Keep a reminder before your eyes, maybe a picture on the wall or a saying that has special meaning, reminding you that your situation is temporary. Be kind to yourself as often as you can. Be forgiving of yourself and the other person.

That’s easy for us to say, but when we are in the bunker of care giving, it is not as easy to put into practice. I hope this list helps in some way, and gives you even more ideas on how you can keep it all together during this care giving season.

If you have other ideas that would help a fellow caregiver, please leave a comment. We are here to share from our experiences so that we can help a fellow caregiver-traveler on their journey. That way we can all keep it together.

Related Posts:

• October 22, 2009 -- Caregiving – Defining True Love
• August 10, 2010 -- Alzheimer’s and Long Distance Care – Make the Most of Your Visit
• June 2, 2010 -- Medicare and the New Health Care Law
• August 30, 2008 -- Connecting With Others Who Care
• August 9, 2010 -- Alzheimer’s and Long Distance Care – Verify Level of Need