Caregiving
A caregiver is someone who, out of choice or necessity, has responsibility for providing or overseeing care for a person with short- or long-term limitations due to illness (mental or physical), injury, or disability. The caregiver may have any type of current or former relationship with the care receiver, biological, paid, or an acquaintance. The services provided may be offered with or without compensation, and the caregiver may or may not have formal training. The care delivered may consist of emotional, clerical /administrative, financial, maintenance, or skilled patient care. The types of caregivers and the services provided vary significantly, as do the individuals receiving the care.
For many, becoming a caregiver is a new experience, even if they expected they might become one in the future when a parent passed and they assumed care for a sibling. The reality of caregiving often differs from the expectations one holds when dreaming of the future. Adjusting to the reality of the role can be difficult for many reasons. Understanding why and what is behind the struggle can sometimes help in finding ways to meet those challenges and overcome their influence.
This section introduces some of the baggage caregivers unknowingly bring into the role, as well as the impact the care receiver’s background has on their interactions with one another. Therefore, in the “Introduction to Caregiving,” we try to help you understand what’s in your “baggage” so that you can clean it out and be able to move beyond the clouds that keep you from seeing clearly and making safe decisions about your future needs.
When first becoming a caregiver, the number of decisions required feels overwhelming. A lot of information comes to you at once, with everyone wanting an answer from you regarding your decision on things like which medication you want to try, whether you have obtained insurance approval for this treatment, or if you will need a wheelchair ramp installed. How do you make sense of the chaos?
“First Decisions” helps you to separate the issues and consider only what is relevant on each topic. By narrowing the focus to essential details only, it makes decision-making a little more manageable.
Undertaking the responsibilities of caregiving, in addition to one’s actual role, such as being a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and employee, can feel overwhelming. You probably did not receive training in all the fields of study in which you now need knowledge. How do you manage to find out what you need to know and what you don’t know that you need? You can begin by reviewing the information shared in “Managing Caregiving Impact.” It provides an overview of some of the more common issues caregivers face, with plans to add more in the future. Links to outside resources also provide additional access to information sources. Hang in there, HTH will help you get connected.
