Straight Talk about Family Caregiving
There are three important rules for good family care:
1. Love is never enough. You can love someone utterly and completely, but without the right tools and education, you can fail as a caregiver.
2. You have to take care of yourself in order to be able to take care of your loved one. If you fail, there will be two people who need a caregiver — you and your loved one!
3. What you don’t know or understand can hurt you AND your loved one — when you learn about what ails your loved one, you can also learn about what will make care better.
Believe in yourself. Believe that for every problem there is at least one solution. Believe in family care — there’s no place like home. Direct your caregiving to meet your loved one’s real needs. The rewards can be great.
Love really does make the world go around, but if you want a smoother ride, grease the wheels!