How well can we balance the caregiving responsibilities? I remember watching the caregiver of a patient of mine who was in her late 90’s being a superwoman. Just listening to her routine made me equally exhausted and amazed.She took care of her husband, who was bedridden, as well as the house, the yard which had a small garden, and was baking cookies for the grandchildren while she had a pot of soup simmering on the stove. She said she had been a caregiver for decades, looking after her parents and her husband’s parents when their health was declining and now it was her husband that needed her help. She had some support from family but stated this it was important she do as much as she could for as long as she was able. 

I was recently reminded of how each person has their own way of managing the challenges of caregiving. When I have a referral to assess a patient recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, I like to also focus on the bigger picture so I can best guide the caregiver in what may be ahead and what resources might be beneficial. Not only was this woman caring for dad, but her mother was very hard of hearing and visually impaired. In a baby seat on the kitchen counter top sat a three month old. He was the caregiver’s first grandchild who stayed with her two days a week while his parents were at work. Sensing this could be a lot to handle each day, I started gathering more information in hopes of offering some ideas. Then I got to hear an amazing story of caregiver who had a plan BEFORE she accepted this arrangement. In a family meeting, everyone living in the area signed up for times to provide respite or meals on a regular basis. The caregiver had one weekend off a month and tried to take a mini trip to visit friends. One of the family members who lived too far away to provide ongoing assistance made arrangements to pay for her sister to get a massage twice a month. Another came in for a week every other month to provide respite.

Sometimes a caregiving situation arises out of an emergency and a plan has to be put into place quickly. After the initial crisis, it is important for all involved in the support system to sit down to discuss options and how they can create a plan for sharing the responsibilities before there is caregiver burnout. Article with additional information: Does Stress And Overload Impact a Caregiver’s Memory?

Look for your choices, pick the best one, then go with it. Pat Riley

Posted in Alzheimer’s, Caregiving, Caring At Home, Health, Stress, Support, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Tags: Alzheimer’s, Caregivers balancing work-life issues, Dementia, family, Health, In-home Care, Stress, Support