I read an article this week that I just had to pass along. It was part of the “Caregivers Newsletter,” a product of Gary Barg. He and his team also publish a monthly magazine called “Today’s Caregiver.” Their official website is: www.caregiver.com (http://www.caregiver.com)
I started reading both the magazine and the newsletter while I was caregiver for my mother. Thoughts and ideas from his stories, and those of his contributors, really helped me through some problem areas. I was fortunate enough to meet him at a Caregiver Conference he brought to Orlando a few years ago. He is one of those special people that just doesn’t come along every day. Gary got involved in the caregiving business many years ago the same way most of us do – he took care of his parents. Since most people have no idea what they’re getting into when they become a caregiver, it didn’t take him long to figure out that caregivers needed some help. He started Today’s Caregiver magazine and now he is off and running.
Please take the time to read this article, especially if you are a part of the family of a caregiver, but also if you just happen to be the friend of someone that has taken on this additional 24 hour per day, 7 days a week responsibility. And remember, you may also be a caregiver one day.
I hope you will put to good use some of the do’s and don’ts discussed in this article written by Lisa Lopez. Her short bio says she is a Grants Research Manager at a nonprofit organization in Greensboro, NC. Lisa and her family have been caring for her 68-year-old father for more than a year. She is an avid writer of short stories, plays, screenplays and essays. She has a Masters of Public Affairs from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She lives with her husband, two dogs and five cats. But on top of that, she is a caregiver.
Do you know any caregivers that could use a little support?
7 Essential Do’s and Don’ts for People Caring for Caregivers
By Lisa Lopez
One year ago, my father was diagnosed with Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome, a form of dementia resulting from chronic alcohol abuse. My dad, who worked hard his entire life, raised a family and built a strong reputation in his community, spent the last 10 years of his life succumbing to this terrible disease that befalls so many. After the official dementia diagnosis, I was appointed his guardian and my family and I made the excruciating decision to place him in an assisted living facility. This past year, I’ve experienced everything from anger to guilt, from optimism to despair.
Since becoming one of my dad’s caregivers, the people I’ve leaned on the most are my friends. Somehow, my friends just get it. I don’t need to tell them what questions to ask, when to ask them or when to leave me alone. In the beginning, however, my husband and some other close family members had to be reminded how to react to the very fragile and stressed side of me.
Click here to continue reading the article.