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10 Tips for a Caregiver’s Self-Care
2 min readSep 21, 2019
- Know when and how to identify yourself as a family caregiver. It is when you do any or many of the following (and more) for a loved one, partner, spouse, family member, friend, or neighbor: drive to healthcare appointments, manage medications, search for help or resources online or in the community, coordinate appointments or care needs, emotional support from another city, state, or country, assist with activities of daily living (ADLs) or instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).
- As a family caregiver, consider yourself an informal (nonpaid) worker in the long-term care (LTC) industry and save yourself a lot of stress and frustration.
- Understand that caregiver burden exists even if you feel like it is a blessing to help the one you love. Monitor your health such as high blood pressure, sleep disturbance, and type 2 diabetes.
- Access many of the free resources for family caregivers such as Caregiver Resource Centers (CRCs), organizations with the Family Caregiver Support Program (FCSP), and respite. Also, know the definition of respite, which is a brief break for caregivers.
- Develop an awareness of new family roles, identities, dynamics, and ways to communicate with each other. And learn to become comfortable with this being the new normal.
- Educate yourself about your loved…
