CAREGIVING COUNTS BY MARY BROTHERTON
National Family Caregivers Month
November is National Family Caregivers Month, and rightfully so, with more than 65 million family caregivers in the United States alone. Family caregivers are full-time partners with their loved ones and because of the complexities involved in providing care at home, entire families are affected. This is a great time for caregivers and their families to express gratitude, not just to the caregiver, but to the one being cared for, as well.
DEFINITION Gratitude
The quality of being thankful and the ability to show appreciation for something or someone. If you appreciate something, you tend to show gratitude.
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Assess your ability to provide the care and attention your loved ones need to give everyone involved a higher quality of life.
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Tip
You can show your appreciation to the caregiver in your life without spending much money: • Bring casseroles for the freezer in microwave or oven-safe dishes for “bad days.” • Stop by with a picnic lunch or tea party in the middle of the day. Be sure you call first to avoid doctor’s appointments and arrive early enough to set it up in time for lunch. • Have flowers delivered. • Stop by for a visit with no expectations. • Give the gift of an afternoon off, with a gift certificate for a pedicure or movie. • Plan an evening to relieve the caregiver, but bring a designated driver so the caregiver can go out for a few drinks without worries. • Ask your siblings or friends to bring potluck and photos for an evening of nostalgia. Be sure you stay to clean up afterwards. • Offer to visit while the caregiver tends to personal needs like doctor’s or hair appointments. • Pay for a haircut.
Thanksgiving dinner should be a time for family unity, a chance to share gratitude and spend time with loved ones, but for the family caregiver it is often just one more thing to manage. As our families age and adult children relocate, our traditions change with our needs. If you are the caregiver for your aging parent(s) you may be expected to resume or resurrect old traditions. You may need to compromise. If your siblings have created new traditions, discuss ways you can include your parents so the burden of a full-blown Thanksgiving celebration doesn’t fall entirely on you. Consider if it may be time to create a new tradition and remember not doing things the way they’ve always been done is not a tragedy. It can be the beginning of something better.
Caregiver resource
Brevard County has many resources for family caregivers including nonprofit groups such as Aging Matters in Brevard and Brevard Alzheimer’s Foundation, as well as numerous other organizations. You can find many support groups and resources conveniently listed in the 2015 Boomer Guide, which you can pick up at Senior Life’s office or go to online at issuu.com/seniorlife/docs/boomerguide 2015-issuu.
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