How to Handle the Guilt of Caregiving — Part 2
This post is part of a two-part series. Click here to read Part 1. I feel a little guilty for writing about guilt. I haven’t been a hands-on family caregiver for over two years, but I still feel guilt over things I could have or should have done for my aging parents. So can I [...]
How to Handle the Guilt of Caregiving — Part 1
One of my support group members recently asked me, “How do I get over the guilt?” A few months ago she moved her husband to a board and care facility because she could no longer care for him by herself at home. Intellectually she knows it is the best thing for both of them, but [...]
What to Do After You’ve Lost Your Cool with your Aging Parents
We’re all human. We’ve probably all felt the guilt and remorse after losing our cool with our aging parents, relatives or care recipients. Aside from feeling badly, what can we actively do to make amends after we’ve blown up at them? How do we begin to repair the relationship after a hurtful incident? Making up [...]
True Confessions: When I Lost Patience with My Aging Parents
In a prior post I acknowledged that in our role as family caregivers, we’ve all probably lost our patience with our aging parents or care recipients at some point. I also promised to share with you my own experience, so here goes. I Never Lost My Patience (Part One of Two) I was a long [...]
Caregiving and the Holidays
Now that it’s November, the countdown to the holidays has officially begun. While most of the world seems to be living on a holiday “high,” caregivers often struggle through this time of year with great, and often hidden, sadness in their hearts. For family caregivers the holiday season can be both blessing and a curse. [...]
A Holiday Gathering for Family Caregivers
I was planning to write a post about family caregivers, our aging parents and/or relatives, and the many issues we might face during the hectic holiday season. In organizing my own thoughts and researching this topic, I found there are many excellent resources already available on the internet about this very subject. Instead of reinventing [...]
How to Decrease Caregiver Stress
Since November is National Family Caregivers Month, I want to focus on the many wonderful caregivers in the world and provide extra support for them, too. Let’s start with how to help decrease caregivers’ stress! If you are a family caregiver, please answer these quick questions. (Don’t worry you don’t have to tell me the [...]
How Many Hats Do Family Caregivers Wear?
Do you remember enjoying the classic Dr. Seuss book “The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins” from your childhood? It came to mind today as I was thinking about how many hats we wear while caring for our aging parents. An Institute of Medicine report lists roles that many of us will find familiar: Companion Coach Homemaker [...]
5 Comments