Always Looking for Advice for Caregivers.

Pictures of Will's confirmation. Mimi & Papa and Vovo (grandmother in Portuguese). Taken Spring 2012.

Talking to people who are taking care of a loved one, whether it is an elderly parent or special needs child, stress always comes into the conversation. We don't want to admit it, it feels like you are a weak person, like you can't do what those who have not done it, might consider like a job. "Just schedule it, just better your use of time management, just let one other thing go -your kids can wait." Raise your hand - how many have heard something like this. BrightStar Care of Southwest Houston, from Caregiver Junction had a post regarding 'what do family caregivers really need?'. Besides the outward tired look, caregiving can also lead to other health issues: infectious diseases, depression, sleep deprivation, premature aging, and higher mortality rate.

What does BrightStar say about it? Cognitive incapacity does have an important indirect effect through its influence on disruptive behavior and social functioning. It is important to find ways to deal with the disruptive behavior and declining social function. There are many ways to approach both of these, including day care centers for dementia patients and behavioral analysis of the disruptive behavior. Asking for help isn’t easy but these issues are difficult to handle alone.

Get help from the community resources available to you, seek out and accept respite care, learn new skills and acquire the tools you need to succeed.

Don’t see yourself as an island. A different study that showed that caregivers need more than just social support. It is critical to your health that you receive education, counseling, and/or direct services. It is important that you experience peer support and share the stressful but also rewarding experience of caregiving. However, we also need to acquire new tools to help us deal with new situations, we also need to invest in stress relief.

*** As you consider your journey as a caregiver don’t make your loved one your total focus. This is easier said than done but if you are going to finish your journey as a whole, healthy person it is important you keep part of your attention on your own needs.


Can't say it enough - use local resources: friends, senior centers, social service agencies, religious leaders. Ask for someone to take over for a time, look for respite care, day care centers. Don't feel like you have to do it all yourself.