Introduction to Caregiving
Some caregivers expect to become caregivers one day. They have a sibling they know will need care once their parents pass, a spouse who is progressively becoming worse with a chronic illness, or a parent with a diagnosis known to require care in the final stages of the disease process. Knowing in advance allows an individual to prepare for the change by learning how to provide the necessary care and making any essential long-term adjustments to life goals to accommodate the new responsibilities. However, expectations are not always the same as reality, and facing what is real is always a challenge.
One minute you’re living “the life,” and the next, a phone call changes your life forever. How do you adapt to being a caregiver when your entire life turns upside down and moves sideways? How do you make decisions while in shock? Crisis caregiving is a special type of caregiving. At a time when you feel like your world is falling apart and nothing seems secure, you have dozens of people asking you to make life-altering decisions within minutes or days. How can you do that? How can you help someone else when you can’t even think? The answer is to turn it over to God, take a deep breath, and let Him carry you through it one minute at a time. Let me share with you how I did it time and again.
