Surprise! You are now a Caregiver

That was how my brother started the conversation where he outlined several problems my parents, 1400 miles away, were experiencing. You have probably heard something similar.

As a caregiver, you can probably relate to my story, because those words completely changed my life. As a certified family life educator, I thought I was prepared to be a caregiver. Instead, I learned that while my education in family science had prepared me to understand, identify, and correct for the best outcomes, it did not prepare me personally for the day-to-day, hour-by-hour, and often long-night after long-night care, that every caregiver understands is part of 24/7 care.

What I found most surprising of all is how few resources existed for adult caregivers. I was not prepared for the emotional, physical, and financial toll both my family and I would pay over the next 10 years as we helped my parents through the end of their life journey. However, becoming a caregiver gave me the best hands-on opportunity to utilize my knowledge of best practices to find simplified ways to approach problems, challenges, and the many changes that accompanied my caregiving journey.

Below you will find a few of the things that I learned.

Don’t hesitate to ask if you have other questions.