Caregiving 101

It Helps To Be Prepared

Photo by Ankit Dembla on Unsplash

We met when we were 12 and were married for 63 years when Dan died from COVID. Before that, I took care of him for four years as he struggled with dementia. His father and sister had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, but we optimistically thought if we exercised, ate relatively healthily, and kept busy, he would escape their fate. We were wrong.

In retrospect, Dan may have experienced symptoms for years. Indeed, he had become more forgetful. However, he had a full-time job after retirement and was very active until emergency surgery and a 9-day hospital stay irrevocably affected his memory.

Throughout the newsletter, I’ve discussed ways I managed the situation and what I would do if providing care to someone with a specific disease. However, loved ones have numerous health challenges for which they may need care - cancer, diabetes, or strokes. Fundamental issues arise for caregivers, no matter the illness.

They can be spouses, partners, adult children, parents, other relatives (siblings, aunts, nieces/nephews, in-laws, grandchildren), friends, and neighbors. If you care for a loved one now or might in the future, it’s wise to be informed.

Numerous websites entitled Caregiving 101 offer basic information for potential caregivers. I’m listing three.

Caring Men - The website Care Support and Education provides an education and support system for men looking to become caregivers for someone in their family. Their cancer caregiver education equips caregivers with the information, resources, and training needed to become caring, compassionate, and knowledgeable throughout their caregiving responsibilities.

Family Resource Network -The article Caregiving 101: For Those New To The Role says that no matter what role a caregiver has, there are several first steps they should take.

AARP - The article, 5 Steps for First-Time Family Caregivers, suggests taking it one step at a time.

There are also numerous videos on the topic, such as the one by Family Care Alliance.

Caring for a loved one, no matter the health issue, is stressful, so prepare as much as possible. The information in this article can be a starting point.

P. S. I’d love to have you share the Aging Well Newsletter with others. I want to bring the lessons I’ve learned through my years of life and caregiving to as many people as possible. More than anything, I want to continue to expand our community of readers.

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