Caregiver & Family Support

We at the ADRC strive to support family and other informal caregivers. Sometimes we hear “I didn’t think of myself as a caregiver, I was doing what needed to be done.”

August 2023

Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC)

721 Oxford Avenue Suite 1130

Eau Claire WI 54703

Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

(715)839-4735

1-888-338-4636 tty: use Relay (711)

Website and Email www.eauclaireadrc.org adrc@eauclairecounty.gov

Social Media www.facebook.com/ ECC.ADRC www.instagram.com/ adrceauclaire/

ADRC Mission Statement

To help people age 60+ and adults living with disabilities secure needed services or benefts, live with dignity and security, and achieve maximum independence and quality of life.

You might be a caregiver if… you fnd yourself stopping by your parents on your way home from work to take out the trash, make a meal, or make sure they have taken their medications. you are driving your neighbor to the doctor or grocery store - or you're doing their lawn care or other chores.

…you need to help your partner bathe, dress, or use the bathroom.

…you are a grandparent and are now raising your grandchildren.

These, and other tasks, are essential to those people in your life and are so appreciated! There aren’t always funded options for those tasks and receiving that help informally can be life changing. But it doesn’t mean it’s always easy. Caregiving can be both fulflling and taxing at the same time. We’re allowed to feel two things at once. Often, we truly want to help but also have to balance all the demands of life, and sometimes we all just have hard days, weeks or months. Know that your hard work is truly a beautiful way to make the world go round.

If you fnd reading to be therapeutic, there are many books on caregiving. Even if you want to purchase locally, searching Amazon for books and reading reviews is a great way to fnd just the right book for you. There are general caregiving books, humorous ones, guided journals, or about caregiving for a certain health condition like Parkinson’s. In no particular order or specifc recommendations here are a few samples of book ideas:

Self-care for Caregivers: A Twelve Step Approach

Share the Care

The 36-Hour Day

Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief

Chicken Soup for the Caregiver’s Soul

Coping with Caring

When Did My Life Become a Game of Twister?