Caregiving is an intimate job, especially when it involves a family member or close friend. I was a caregiver for ten years for someone that I love. One of my older sisters was one for our mom until she passed away in October. It is intimidating, challenging, exhausting, and overwhelming for the caregiver, as much as for the patient. I have experience of being the caregiver and being the one cared for. This part of my life I am the one being cared for. I made the decision not to have a family member being my caregiver. I use strangers, because I do not want to change my relationships with my siblings or friends.
In the book Breadcrumbs by Amy Friesen you have a great resource to help you through the intimidating experience of maneuvering caregiving for your disabled child/adult, or elderly parents. I am going to focus on one aspect that I believe is important.
Self-care while you are caregiving. I sucked at this when I was a caregiver. I used all of my time and energy to make sure my boyfriend had everything he needed and by the time he passed away I was drained of all my energy. It took me a long time to recover from this experience. I do not want anyone else to experience this. Eating well and moving your body and taking breaks are important when you are a caregiver. Making a schedule and building habits and routines will help you include this in your routine of caring for your loved one.
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I won this book on Good Reads. The opinions I express are my own and I was not influenced.
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